


The Marriage List

by Archangel_dare



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friends With Benefits, non-massacre
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 78,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24786082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archangel_dare/pseuds/Archangel_dare
Summary: Their routine worked for them; when Sasuke needed her, she was there, and when Sakura needed him, he was there. Sex was just something for them to relieve the tension of being elite shinobi. However, now that the Uchiha council has decided that it's time for Sasuke to get married, he has to put aside his arrangement with Sakura, and to end his dating of a civilian girl. For the good of his clan, he has to choose from the list of suitable women they'll accept as his wife. It's not a decision he really wants to make.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Izumi
Comments: 284
Kudos: 892





	1. Chapter 1

Sasuke landed on the platform outside of her window carefully, silently cursing himself as his ankle twinged under his weight. The bottom of his shinobi pants were ripped and covered in mud, and his Anbu arm guards bore the brunt of sword marks. He slowly lifted the bottom of the window seal to open just enough for him to slip in. He flared his chakra slightly to let her know he was here; the last thing he needed was to have to dodge a chakra-infused punch to the face, and on his sprained ankle, he wasn’t 100 percent sure he could dodge it completely.

He stepped into her bedroom and his eyes landed on her small frame curled tightly into her covers. It wasn’t that cold, but he knew that she preferred as much warmth as possible when trying to sleep. Sasuke quietly undid the locks on his vest and let his Anbu gear slip soundlessly to the floor. He knew she had awakened the moment he landed on her balcony, but there was no reason to make more noise than necessary. Once he had completely undressed, he slipped into the bed behind her and wrapped one hand around her breasts and the other under her body to her hip. He easily pulled her into him and molded his heated body to hers. He leaned over, pressing his chapped lips to the skin where her neck and shoulder met, nipping the corded muscle lightly.

“Mmmm, Sasuke,” she moaned as she pressed back into his warmth. Sakura shifted her thighs apart to allow him to slip his hot cock between them. Sasuke almost moaned, releasing a sharp grunt instead, as he felt the warmed, smooth skin cover his shaft. He moved his hips slowly back and forth, allowing the head of his cock to rub against her dampening core. Sakura followed his motion, arching her back to press her ass firmly into him, and then rolling her hips away. Sasuke’s fingers easily found her nipple, puckered from the cold, and pinched it lightly between his fingers while he continued sucking her neck.

“Did you just get back?” Sakura questioned breathlessly. Sasuke ignored her, choosing instead to focus on shifting his attention to her other breast. He gripped her breast and moved his head down to twirl his tongue over her hardened nipple before latching onto it and suckling roughly. Sakura gasped but refused to be distracted by his sinful mouth.

“Sasuke, did you report to the Hokage’s office, or go to the hospital for that matter to get cleared?”

“Hn.” He pressed his teeth firmly around her nipple, not enough to hurt, but enough to arouse her further. He slid his hand down her stomach and past the triangle of springy, cotton candy pink hair covering her cunt. He pressed his fingers firmly into her clit and circled them just how she liked. Sakura brought her hand into the silky hair at the base of his neck and pulled gently to move his lips back to her neck. Sasuke smirked and pressed his lips back to her skin.

“Alright, you were just so eager to get back to me, I’ll excuse it tonight, but don’t think I didn’t notice you favoring your left ankle. I’m checking it out before you leave,” Sakura scolded. How many times had she told him to go to the hospital rather than avoiding it and expecting her to be his personal doctor at all hours of the night? She’d like to say a thousand, but it didn’t help that every time he slipped into her room after dark, he came prepared with a heady erection.

“Hn. Annoying,” Sasuke smirked as she huffed in annoyance. They did this every time, but her complaints always subsided for the night when he was inside her and he always let her rant as she healed him in the morning. He gripped his throbbing cock and placed it at her entrance, then secured his grip on her hips and pushed into her waiting cavern. They both moaned as he sank deeper into her, bottoming out until his heavy balls rested against her clit. He had to catch his breath as her cunt, warm and dripping, fluttered around him. Sakura squeezed her inner muscles playfully, trying to tip him over the edge.

“Sakura, stop,” he groaned and glared at her. After so long on a mission, his stamina wasn't at its best.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” she smiled and squeezed him again. He growled and pressed his hand into her stomach to force his cockhead to rub against her upper walls. Sakura moaned feeling him on her most sensitive spot. Sasuke smirked, then pulled back until only the tip remained then thrusted back into her. Sakura screamed in pleasure as he thrusted repeatedly into her, hitting all the right spots with his thick cock.

“Sas—suke!” She arched her back into him, urging him to thrust as deeply as he could. Sasuke bit down into her shoulder as he gripped her hips with bruising strength. The sound of their wet skin slapping together increased their arousal, spurring their animalistic and instinctual activity.

This had been their ritual for years, a way for him to calm his adrenaline after missions. After his first solo mission as a jonin, he’d been itching for a way to calm down. Team 7 had met at Ichiraku for their monthly team meal and Naruto’s incessant chatter had only been causing the tension in his body to wind tighter. Sakura had noticed and had insisted on walking him back to the Uchiha district, to his annoyance; he was in no mood to continue pleasantries. Once they had stepped through the gates, she’d pulled him into an alley and went down on him, swallowing every drop of cum and tension that seeped out of him thanks to her talented mouth and hands. That wasn’t their first time in a sexual situation either, but it had been the first time he’d needed a way to come down off of the tension and high of a mission. He’d thanked her and sent a shadow clone with her to walk her home while he collapsed on his bed, replaying the image of her bubble gum colored head bobbing up and down his long shaft.

From that moment on, when he returned home from a mission, he looked for her to take the edge off; his back was decorated with the thin marks of her nails over the toned muscle. They’d fucked at the training grounds, in his old bedroom at his parents’ house before he’d moved out, at her parents’ house before she’d moved out, anywhere he could get his hands on her without all of Konoha knowing; not like they were hiding it, it just wasn’t anyone else’s business what they did. Their routine worked for them; when he needed her, she was there, and when she needed him, he was there.

Sasuke almost let his mind slip to what had been bothering him lately, but he refused to let those thoughts invade this space. He needed time away from all of it, and he intended to get that here with Sakura. Shaking his head, Sasuke shifted on top of Sakura, ignoring the pain from his ankle and supporting his weight to grab a pillow and slip it under her stomach. He then locked his fingers with hers on either side of her head and pounded into her.

“Oh yes, Sasuke, yes!” Sakura loved how intense Sasuke was. Just like hunting a target on a mission, he was single-minded in his pursuit of their pleasure, focusing only on the way their bodies moved and grinded against each other. Sakura could feel the sweat dripping from his forehead and hair onto her back, causing tingles and thrills up her spine as each drop slid down her heated skin. Sakura could feel her toes curling and the wave building at the bottom of her stomach with each of his sure thrusts. Every thrust was bringing her closer and closer to that ultimate pleasure; with Sasuke being gone and all of the work at the hospital, it’d been a month since she’d had a good toe-curling, earth-shattering orgasm, and she was long overdue. Sakura squeezed her thighs together to make her cunt even tighter and Sasuke responded with a deep grunt. He released one of her hands and clasped his hand around the back of her neck, holding her in place as he increased the speed and ferocity of his thrusts. He was blindly chasing that sweet release that would leaving his muscles gelatinous and his chest heaving, and Sakura knew exactly what would send him over.

“Please, Sasuke-kun. Cum inside me!” Sakura moaned desperately. Like clockwork, Sasuke shot his load of hot, milky cum inside her, triggering her own orgasm. Her muscles spasmed around him, encouraging him to fill her. Jet after jet of his seed shot into her cervix, giving her body what it had been craving for weeks. Sasuke gripped her hip as vibrations filled his body from his legs to the base of his spine, sucking his strength. He collapsed on his back on the side of her, pushing his sweat-slicked hair out of his face and allowing the cool air of her bedroom to dry his skin in a pleasant way that kept his sensitive nerve endings tingling. Sakura pushed her own hair out of her face and turned to lean on his chest.

“That gets you every time,” She smiled, brushing her unruly strands behind her ear and over her shoulder. Sasuke slipped his hand under her hip to rest his fingers on the small of her back. He let his fingers draw lazy patterns in the last drops of sweat drying.

“Hn,” he kept his eyes closed, refusing to give her the satisfaction of knowing she was right. He wasn’t sure what it was about her calling him ‘Sasuke-kun.’ He’d hated it when they were younger, more interested in being better than his older brother than on girls who couldn't care less about being a ninja. That honorific had followed him from every girl in the academy, and he’d just wanted them to leave him alone. But ever since Sakura had shifted her focus after their first chunin exam, she had dropped the honorific from his name and had focused more on her training. She’d come into her own as a kunoichi. At 24, she was now the director of day-to-day operations at the hospital, one of the only doctors with clearance to treat Anbu members, and she was devising plans for a children’s hospital. He respected her, and hearing the needy way she used the honorific only when she needed his cum inside her was kinky and a massive turn-on. Maybe it was also a sense of pride. Sasuke knew that she was too married to her work to seriously date, and Naruto would have an aneurism if he found out that “his precious Sakura-chan” was sleeping around with anyone, so Sasuke would bet his life that he was the only one giving her what she needed at the moment, and she was the only one taking his cum. That thought almost threatened to sour his mood, so he pulled Sakura onto his chest and wrapped his arm around her thigh, pulling it to rest over his lap. Once he had her settled, he moved his hand to cup her ass and began to let his body relax into sleep.

“Sasuke,” Sakura laughed playfully, trying to slip out of his grasp, “let me clean off.”

“Hn, shut up.” He squeezed her ass with a smirk and then settled back into her bed. He could feel the tension release from her own muscles as she rested her head on his chest.

“One of these days, you’ll tell me why you like it so much,” She mumbled sleepily, finally letting her prior exhaustion catch up to her. Sasuke didn’t respond, and finally let his own body rest.

* * *

Sakura awoke to the wonderful smell of coffee and fried food wafting into her bedroom. She rolled over, moving the tangled covers away from her legs and took a long, languid stretch. Her muscles felt delightfully tired and all of her joints popped with satisfaction: nothing like a good round of fucking followed by breakfast in the morning. Sakura grabbed one of Sasuke’s shirts that she kept in case he was called to a mission while he was over and tossed it over body before using the bathroom and straightening out her hair. It really was about time she cut it again.

Sakura walked out to her kitchen to see Sasuke cooking while barely putting weight on his left leg. She rolled her eyes at his stubbornness but took in the delectable sight before her. Sasuke’s back was full of thick, toned muscle from his shoulders down to the dimples on his lower back. His muscles moved with grace as he pushed the frying pan around and reached for seasoning. The hem of his pants sat dangerously low on his hips, and Sakura knew that if he turned around, she would see the exquisitely cut V muscles of his abdomen. Her eyes catalogued every inch of his back, making sure that there weren’t any new scars or injuries he wasn’t telling her about. Sakura was relieved to see that the marks on his back were the same, not even a superficial bruise added from his latest mission; she ignored the arrogant part of her brain that noted all the nail marks she’d left and that there were none from the civilian girl he’d been seeing for the last year.

Sakura shook her head at her pettiness and strode up to the kitchen counter. She hopped up, crossing her legs and grabbed the warm cup of coffee he’d prepared for her. Sasuke looked over at her, letting his eyes drag down his shirt then return to her eyes with a smirk on his lips.

“I’m not taking it off,” She shrugged nonchalantly, smirking around the rim of her coffee cup as she took a sip.

“Good. If you did, I’d just have to fuck you on the counter, and we don’t have time for that.” Sasuke turned back to the fish he was frying and couldn’t fight the smirk that widened when she gasped.

“Mou, you’re so mean, Sasuke, and after I let you cum inside me,” Sakura pouted and took another sip.

“Tch, that was more because you’re needy. You would have thrown a fit if I didn’t.” He plated the fish over the rice and eggs he’d already finished and then turned to see her heated glare.

“You’re not as cute as you think you are, Uchiha,” Sakura huffed and dropped down from the counter, grabbing both of their cups and taking them to her dining table. Sasuke swallowed his laugh and carried their plates to the table, careful not to put too much weight on his injured ankle. Once they settled into the chairs, Sakura gently grabbed his foot and rested it on her lap. While he started eating, she allowed her chakra to soothe his pain and wrap around the damaged ligaments. She could feel his body relax as she focused on the irritated muscle that had had to overcompensate for all of his motion getting back to Konoha and having to stand to cook this morning. Sprained ankles were one of the most irritating injuries to a shinobi because so much of their movement relied on their ankle and a sprained ankle was the wimpiest sounding excuse to be out of top form. Once she’d completely healed the ligaments and tested his range of motion, she set his foot back to the ground and started eating her own breakfast.

“Hn.” _‘Thank you.’_

“Sure thing. Just make sure you mention it when you go for your clearance physical. I don’t want them missing it on your chart and me having to scold my staff for not noticing.”

“Hn.” _‘Not a chance.’_

“Honestly, why do I put up with you?” Sakura glared at him as she put a fork full of rice and eggs into her mouth. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of moaning at his cooking. Sasuke smirked at her as if to say it was obvious why she put up with him and Sakura flicked a grain of rice at him for his arrogance. Seriously, he was lucky his big cock, skill in bed, and his culinary skills matched his arrogance or she’d have killed him by now.

They ate in comfortable silence, Sakura mentally running through the things she needed to get done before her evening shift in the Anbu ward of the hospital and Sasuke mentally running through the mission report he’d written to make sure he’d catalogued everything…except for his ankle sprain. Sakura looked up to check his plate and saw that he was waiting for her to complete her meal before he finished dressing to leave. Sakura pushed her plate to the side to tell him it was ok for him to get ready, to which he nodded and went back into her room to grab his shirt and Anbu gear. Sakura followed him and leaned onto her door frame, watching as his abdominal and chest muscles stretched as he pulled his shirt over his head. If he didn’t have to report to the Hokage, the hospital, and his clan, she’d definitely ride him all morning. That thought spurred her to think of someone else he should be checking in with.

“So, are you going to see her, your civilian girl?” Sakura asked, interested but not truly invested. This wasn’t the first civilian girl Sasuke had been seeing; she was just the one who was lasting the longest. Sakura was fully enjoying turning the tables on all the times the boys of Team 7, including her own sensei, had run off her romantic prospects before she’d just given up.

“No.” Sasuke snapped the buckles on his vest then slipped his shin guards into place followed by his arm guards.

“What, you’ve been away for a month and aren’t going to her with in the first 24 hours? You’re kind of bad at this whole romance thing, Sasuke,” Sakura joked, covering her mouth to hide some of her laugh.

“When I need romance advice, I’ll be sure not to ask you,” Sasuke slid his snake mask in place, opened the window, and stepped out onto the balcony, shushinning away before she could retort. Sakura shook her head, closing her window and making her bed.

Honestly, Sakura felt bad for the poor girl. It was clear from the few times she’d met her that Kanami was obsessed with Sasuke. Not obsessed in the way that the girls in the academy had been obsessed, but…invested. Kanami looked at Sasuke as if he hung the stars in the sky, and no doubt she’d heard that Sasuke didn’t stick around for long, not because he was a player, quite the opposite actually. Sasuke didn’t waste his time on any girl he knew his clan wouldn’t approve of. If anything, it was actually kind of endearing the way Sasuke was looking for a woman he could marry. It just didn’t help that Sasuke hadn’t made a decision about Kanami yet. Sakura doubted even Naruto knew if Sasuke was planning on asking her to marry him, and Sasuke had helped Naruto pick out Hinata’s ring for goodness sakes!

Whatever Sasuke’s thoughts on Kanami were was a mystery to Team 7, and every day Sasuke gave her hope that he would propose was another day the girl would be crushed if he didn’t. But it really wasn’t any of Sakura’s business. She’d stepped out of it after Kanami had asked her point blank if what she and Sasuke were doing was in fact just stress relief, just a shinobi thing until they found companionship in a significant other. Sakura had been shocked that Sasuke had even told Kanami that much, since many civilian-shinobi relationships crumbled quickly due to the stress of missions, and Sasuke was an elite shinobi. That he’d even told Kanami meant that he saw her as someone who could stick around, and Sakura had reassured her that.

Getting out of her thoughts, Sakura focused on what she needed to do today besides worrying about Sasuke’s love life. Sakura stripped out of his shirt and tossed it on the bed as her pajamas for the night and then went into her bathroom to get ready for the day.

* * *

Sasuke dropped his bag on the floor of his room, content to finally be done with his post-mission protocol. He understood why it was necessary for all shinobi who had been on long deployments to go through T&I psychological tests and the hospital’s new mental and physical health screenings, but all he wanted to do was bathe and sleep for the next 12 hours before Naruto inevitably found out that he was back in the village. Though he appreciated his friend, he also didn’t have the energy to deal with him right after a mission; that’s why he went to Sakura first.

On his way to the bathroom, he felt the flair of familiar chakra and resisted the urge to sigh. He flashed his own chakra to let his brother know that he acknowledged him, then went into the bathroom to clean the scent of dirt and vanilla off of him. The heat of the water raining down on his tired muscles was heavenly, exactly what he needed after weeks of stalking his target and finally delivering the killing blow. Sasuke washed the grime from his body and hair with the Anbu-issued scentless soap, letting the water beat over his head and neck as he contemplated what Itachi had come to discuss. Since seeing the gates of Konoha, he had forced himself to focus only on his release and his duty to the village. Now that those things were taken care of, Sasuke knew he couldn’t put off focusing on his duty to his clan for long.

Sasuke shut the water off, then stepped out of the stall to grab the towel hanging on his wall. He toweled himself off, rubbed on scentless deodorant, and brushed his teeth. His eyes caught the bottles of vanilla scented shampoo and conditioner Sakura mandated that he and Naruto keep available at their apartments, just like she kept spares of their products in case they needed a refuge for the night. The bottles seemed so innocent, but one whiff of that scent on the air and he was half aroused from the activities associated with the fragrance. Rinsing his mouth out, Sasuke threw on a gray shirt with the Uchiha crest displayed proudly on the back and a pair of black pants and walked out to his living room.

Itachi sat calmly on a traditional pillow, sipping his green tea contently. When he heard Sasuke’s footsteps, he poured another cup of tea and passed a plate of small tomatoes to the empty side of the table. Sasuke nodded and popped a tomato into his mouth, chewing contently until Itachi was ready to speak.

“How was your mission, Otouto?” Itachi activated his sharingan to quickly scan over his little brother’s body. Satisfied at not seeing any damage, Itachi’s eyes bled back into their warm grayish-black.

“Fine, Nii-san. I completed it, of course.” Sasuke sat stiffly, waiting for Itachi to get to the point. Beginning their conversation with otouto let Sasuke know that this wasn’t a visit for pleasantries. The clan wanted something, and Sasuke knew exactly what it was. Itachi sighed and placed his tea down on the table.

“The elders weren’t happy that you missed the meeting last month,” Itachi gave him a small pitying smile.

“I’ll have to tell them that I’m sorry for again defying their wishes,” Sasuke grumbled. Those old coots were never happy with his actions. He almost regretted asking his father to let him sit in on meetings when he was 13; he would have had much less frustration with the decrepit crypt keepers if he hadn’t been dealing with their criticism for years.

“They should be used to it by now,” Itachi smirked. “They believed I was the difficult one, but it seems you have far surpassed me, Sasuke.”

“I don’t even see why they consented to me joining Anbu if they were going to complain with every mission,” Sasuke resisted to urge to pout like he did when he and Itachi were children. Since joining Anbu, the council had been down his throat about taking missions that kept him away from the village long term. The council had encouraged Itachi to take Anbu missions, but with him, it was almost a blatant show of their distrust in his abilities.

“They thought I would have children by now,” Itachi said frankly. Sasuke felt his stomach sink at his insensitivity. As Itachi’s heir, it was incredibly risky for him to be in Anbu; Sasuke knew that, but it was still grating.

“How is Izumi?”

“Devastated. She started menstruating shortly after you left.” Itachi picked up his teacup and took a sip to control his emotions. He and Izumi had been married for almost 10 years and she’d yet to have a successful pregnancy. While Itachi tried his best to comfort her, telling her that it would happen when the gods decided, and Izumi was trying her best to be strong and positive, the council was getting restless. They wanted an heir to secure the next generation, and as long as Izumi remained childless, that burden fell onto Sasuke’s shoulders.

“You could talk to Sakura; I’m sure she’ll know something, or she can speak to Lady Tsunade on Izumi's behalf.”

Itachi shook his head. “Izumi is determined to do this naturally, and though she respects Hokage-sama, she is still a Senju. Izumi doesn’t want that getting back to the clan; the council has people in discrete places.” He took another sip of his tea, looking down into the small flecks of tea leaves as if they would give him the answer to his wife’s infertility.

“So what, you’re planning on waiting until the council annuls the marriage?” Sasuke scoffed. Itachi was as dedicated to the clan as anyone, the perfect son, but anyone could see how much he adored his wife. To annul the marriage would mean Izumi’s permanent disgrace from the clan, and Itachi wouldn’t stand by and let that happen.

“Sasuke,” both brothers took a deep breath to relieve the tension in the room. Sasuke dreaded the answer to his next question, but he knew it must be asked. Sasuke laced his fingers together and rested his chin on his thumbs to cover his reaction as best as possible.

“How long until it’s ready?”

“The meeting in 2 weeks.” Itachi hadn’t needed to ask what Sasuke meant. They both knew that he was talking about the list of suitable women the council would accept as Sasuke’s bride. Since Itachi had yet to have children, Sasuke was his heir and Sasuke’s wife would need to be prepared to take over the matriarchal duties of the clan when Sasuke took over if anything happened to Itachi. This contingency was why Sasuke had committed so seriously to dating. With civilian girls, he could test out the characteristics his wife needed to have without the expectation that he would ask her to marry him. If Sasuke had committed any time to a girl from the Uchiha clan, he would have been obligated to marry her, whether she would have made a good matriarch or not; to do anything but would just be cruel for her have to see him marry another clan member. If he’d dated a girl from another clan, Sasuke would have had to think of the political implications if he didn’t marry her, and the Uchiha did not need another clan against them after all the Nidaime and village elders had done to ostracize the Uchiha.

That left civilian girls. He could easily compare them to his mother with little consequences. He could ask himself if she was timid or stood her ground, did she understand the requirements placed on elite shinobi, would she understand that she would have little say in whether or not her children became shinobi themselves? To be a clan matriarch was to handle the domestic concerns of the clan and to stand proudly by her husband, questioning his decisions or offering counsel in the privacy of their home.

Sasuke took a deep breath. He had 2 more weeks of freedom, or as much freedom as he could have. In 2 weeks, he’d be given a list of Uchiha women to court, and he would have to make his decision within the year. The only way to get out of the list would be to propose to Kanami, and he was nowhere near ready to do that; there was too much about his profession as a shinobi that she took offense to or didn’t understand, not from a lack of explaining, or as much as Sasuke Uchiha explained anything. He was not looking forward to the issue she would press when he broke it off; it never was easy with civilian girls. Kunoichi shrugged their shoulders, understood, and they went their separate ways, often able to still be friends with their former flames. Civilian girls wanted to cry and throw things, wanted to replay every conversation, wanted to talk about love and devotion; it was a nightmare. Vaguely in the back of his mind, Sasuke acknowledged that he would have to talk to Sakura too; that it would be easy, but he had no desire to stop their arrangement before he was actually married...or at all for that matter.

Both brothers signed, picked up their teacups, and took a long sip. The demands of the clan were never easy, and there was only so much they could do to circumvent them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Naruto spar while the head family of the Uchiha begin examining the clan women who could appear on Sasuke's marriage list.

Sasuke dodged the barrage of clones, sending an arc of lightening through his blade to dispel them. The clones disappeared in a puff of smoke, but Sasuke paid them little mind, already using his Sharingan to span the training field for his opponent. He was growing tired of the swarm of clones and wanted to face the real Naruto.

Sasuke located the bright orange chakra signifying the real Naruto and charged towards it, dodging clone after clone to reach his target. Naruto readied his Rasengan, waiting for Sasuke to emerge through the smoke of dispelled clones and directly into his path. Once Sasuke appeared from the smoke, Naruto attacked, extending his arm to aim for Sasuke’s stomach and almost nicked the edge of his shirt. Knowing that Naruto was going to use a Rasengan from the brightness of the chakra centered in his hand, Sasuke shifted his body to the side, forcing Naruto to overshoot. Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s outstretched arm with his right hand and continued using their combined momentum to fling Naruto away from him and towards the other side of the training ground.

Naruto let the chakra of his Rasengan disappear in order to catch his balance, then formed a shadow clone mid-air to pull him out of the way of the massive fireballs hurtling his way. Once he was safely out of the path of Sasuke’s jutsu, Naruto summoned a mass of clones, all gathering chakra into their palms for Rasengan attacks.

“Clones again, Dobe? You’re wasting my time,” Sasuke taunted with a smug look on his face; he fell into a deep kata stance, Kusanagi slanted, ready to block and attack the onslaught of Narutos rushing towards him.

“We’ll show you who’s wasting time!” The Narutos shouted in unison. Sasuke’s smirk widened and he sent a challenging ribbon of lightening chakra through his sword, illuminating his face hair, and Sharingan with its blue glow. The sea of clones attacked in unison, forcing Sasuke to concentrate on his footwork as he sidestepped and swiped at each clone that dove passed him. He’d never admit it aloud, but Naruto was the best person to train his swordsmanship with. The constant threat of clones forced him to stay balanced in his kata stances and keep the hilt of Kusanagi well-balanced in his hand. He had to make short wrist movements or risk overshooting and not being able to get back into form to guard against the next wave of clones. He also had to use a minimal amount of energy, letting his momentum carry him through his stances rather than brute strength.

Clone after clone disappeared from Sasuke’s precise strikes, but the sheer number of clones gave Naruto enough time to focus on gathering his chakra. Gathering chakra still wasn’t as natural and instantaneous to him as it was for Sakura and Sasuke, so if Sasuke wasn’t distracted, it would take too long for Naruto to finish his plan. He had to hurry though, before Sasuke sidestepped all of his clones and had a beeline straight towards him.

Just as Sasuke was about to push chakra into his feet to jump over the mass of clones, Naruto bit his thumb and pressed it into the ground, creating the telltale seal of blood for a summoning jutsu. Sasuke pushed back, ready to summon Garuda to defend against Gamakichi or Gamabunta, only to be swarmed by a mass of smaller pink, light blue, and purple female toads.

“Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!” The toads shouted, nearly clawing at each other to get to him. They jumped on his chest, tackling him to the ground and swarming over his legs. One particularly determined toad, Gamajira, hopped directly on top of his head, gripping his hair with her webbed feet.

“Did you miss us, Sasuke-kun?”

“We’ve gotten bigger; did you notice, Sasuke-kun?”

“Sasuke-kun!”

“We’ve missed you, Sasuke-kun!”

“Where have you been, Sasuke-kun?”

“We haven’t seen you in forever, Sasuke-kun!”

Naruto clutched his stomach, falling to the ground in a roar of guffawing laughter. He rolled around, nearly in pain from the way his abs were spasming and cramping from his delight. Sasuke glared, growing so red and irritated that the vein near his temple throbbed over his forehead as he tried to detangle himself from the myriad of pre-teen toads clamoring for his attention. It was almost impossible to free himself, since as soon as he removed one toad from his chest, another jumped to take her place. The toads continued to badger him with questions like who he thought was the prettiest, why he hadn’t signed a contract with them, and why they hadn’t seen him in so long. Sasuke was finally able to free one of his hands and throw a rock at Naruto, hitting the maniacal idiot in the head.

“Call them off, Dobe!” Sasuke shouted over the hoard. But Naruto could barely hear him over the sound of his own laughter. “Dobe!”

“Okay—haha—okay! Alright ladies, everyone home,” Naruto squeaked out between laughing fits. The female toads looked positively devastated with tears clouding their eyes.

“But we never get to see Sasuke-kun!” One whined. The others chimed in in agreement, complaining about how Sasuke-kun was always busy on a mission and never had time for them.

“I promise, I’ll summon you more often when Sasuke’s around,” Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes, still bending over and clutching his overworked stomach.

“Fine!” The girls pouted and one by one disappeared back to their world. Gamajira was the last to disappear with a dejected “Bye, Sasuke-kun,” finally allowing Sasuke to move freely. Naruto stuck his hand out to his friend and pulled him up.

“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke grumbled, bending down to retrieve Kusanagi and sheath the sword.

“Oh, come on! It’s been a month; they missed you!” Naruto snickered as Sasuke tried to get his hair back to its spiky appearance, rather than the flattened mop it currently resembled from Gamajira sitting on it.

“Maybe if you hadn’t indulged them in the first place, this wouldn’t be a problem,” Sasuke grumbled, dusting off the remaining dirt from his training attire and straightening his shirt.

“I mean, it’s not like you aren’t used to it, Sa-su-ke-kun,” Naruto jeered, doing his best to mimic the high-pitched whines of every girl in Konoha. Ever since the Ninja Academy, Sasuke had always been popular with the girls of the village. It had annoyed Naruto to no end how they would ignore him, often shoving him out the way, to get close to Sasuke. Sasuke had never really sought out their attention that Naruto could remember, but he definitely didn’t discourage it; he just ignored them, but for some reason that made them want him even more. Then Naruto had made the mistake of accidently summoning a bunch of the female toads, and as soon as they set eyes on Sasuke, they had hearts in their eyes. Sasuke-kun was all they could talk about, to the point that Gamabunta had asked if he needed to “handle” Sasuke. As much as Naruto would have killed to see Sasuke get bitched out about responsibilities and not playing with heartstrings, he also wanted his best friend to live.

“Hn, idiot,” Sasuke walked over to their bags and pulled out his water bottle, clearly ignoring Naruto’s juvenile antics.

“Oh I forgot, you’re more of a one-woman kind of man now, aren’t you, Sasuke?” Naruto grabbed his own water bottle to take a swig before continuing. “I haven’t told Gamajira or the girls yet. Man, they’re going to be so mad at you!” Naruto took another sip, nearly choking when Sasuke hit the back of his head.

“Hey! It’s not my fault you’re a lady’s man!” Naruto wrapped his arm around Sasuke’s shoulder, coating his friend in all of his sweat from their training session. Sasuke glared at his best friend, then shook his head in exasperation. If there was one thing that would never change, it was Naruto’s love of pranks.

“Come on, Loser. I’m not counting that stupid stunt as a win, so you’re buying your own ramen.”

* * *

Over the entire duration of their walk to Ichiraku, Naruto pestered Sasuke with boasts that he had won their sparring match.

“I’m just saying that you asking me to get rid of my summons sounds a lot like you giving up to me,” Naruto laughed boisterously. Sasuke ignored the bright idiot, looking straight ahead to the flaps of the ramen stand. He would never in his life admit that Naruto beat him with a swarm of pre-teen toads with a crush; he’d carry that to his grave.

“Hey Old Man!” Naruto shouted, pulling back the flap to lower himself onto his usual stool. “I’ll take my usual! Sasuke’s paying!”

“I’m paying for one round, Dobe. You’re on your own for the rest,” Sasuke grumbled, ordering his own usual. They’d come to the ramen stand so many times over the years that Sasuke could perfectly recite the menu without ever using his Sharingan.

“Another sparring round then? Good to see you back safe, Sasuke,” Teuchi laughed at his favorite duo.

“Yeah, Old Man. I kicked Sasuke’s butt until he was begging for me to stop,” Naruto gave Sasuke a smug look, knowing Sasuke wouldn’t elaborate or try explaining their fight.

“I will end you,” Sasuke whispered, moments away from throttling his best friend.

“Fine, fine, killjoy. But just let me tell Sakura! She’ll love it! And she needs some stress relief after the month she’s had,” Naruto pleaded. Sasuke’s brow rose in confusion. Sakura hadn’t mentioned anything about a bad month; then again, they weren’t necessarily concerned with talking when he snuck into her room a few days ago.

“What’s wrong with Sakura?” Sasuke asked, trying to appear only mildly interested.

“Oh well you know. She’s been in the library or the archives all the time when she’s not at the hospital. Something about land ownership, budgeting, and case studies for the children’s psychiatric hospital. I didn’t really pay attention ‘cause it sounded boring, but I guess the council isn’t exactly convinced that Konoha even needs a children’s hospital, let alone one that specializes in psychiatric concerns.”

“Hn, so they’re blocking the funding until she can prove that kids are damaged enough to need the hospital,” Sasuke shook his head in disbelief. Of course, the council wouldn’t do anything until a generation of kids were screwed up enough. As if the 3rd Shinobi War, the Kyuubi attack, Naruto and all the other orphans, and Orochimaru’s attack on the village during their chunin exams wasn’t enough for them to see through their stubbornness. Sasuke wasn’t surprised; it had almost taken a coup d’état and a massacre for the council to finally acknowledge their treatment of the Uchiha as second-class citizens in the village and to get the council to meet with the clan elders. They were by no means on stable ground 17 years later, but at least the Uchiha weren’t actively planning to defect from the village; Itachi was even in consideration for the ballot for 6th Hokage if the Godaime didn’t name her successor first.

“Huh? You really think they wouldn’t let Sakura-chan build her hospital?” Naruto questioned in disbelief. Why wouldn’t the council want something that was dedicated to making sure kids were okay?

“You’ve got to pay more attention if you’re going to be Hokage someday,” Sasuke shook his head; heaven help them if Naruto ever became Hokage without an intelligent assistant.

“I listen; it’s just that sometimes Sakura-chan uses really big words,” Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“Urusatonkachi,” Sasuke blinked slowly, giving himself a moment to grapple with his friend’s stupidity.

“Anyway—oh hey look! There’s Kanami! Kanami!” Naruto shouted over to the woman across the street. Sasuke immediately tensed, not exactly wanting to turn around. Kanami looked around then smiled when she saw Naruto waving her over. She walked over, ready to greet the loud man when her bright teal eyes widened in shock at his companion. She hadn’t known Sasuke was back in the village. She cursed herself for wearing such casual clothing and tying her long violet hair in a ponytail rather than looking more appealing for her first time seeing Sasuke in a month.

Her eyes immediately looked over his body, looking for any signs that he’d been hurt on his last mission. He’d said it was a simple mission that wouldn’t require too much of his skill, but she’d been so worried after not hearing from him for weeks. She probably should be used to the periods of silence when he was on a mission, but he was on missions so often it was like they were barely dating.

“Hey Kanami! Are you hungry? Sasuke and I just ordered, so sit and have lunch with us if you have time!” Naruto moved over so there was a spare seat between him and Sasuke. Kanami thanked him, then set down her bag and took the seat he had just vacated. Teuchi appeared as she sat down, dropping off the boys’ orders before taking hers. Naruto and Sasuke politely set their bowls to the side, choosing not to eat while her food was being made. She nervously played with the edge of her dress before turning to Sasuke.

“When did you get back, Sasuke-kun?” She gave him a bright smile, looking up at him through her long lashes.

“Three days ago,” He answered in his gruff, deep voice that made her stomach flutter restlessly. Kanami had been a sucker for his voice, especially when it was rough from sleep first thing in the morning, or when he whispered her name in their intimate moments.

“I bet you are happy to be home, after so long away. You must have been so exhausted that you slept most of those hours,”

“Hn.” Sasuke nodded, not feeling the need to say anything more. He had slept most of the hours after talking to his brother, then spent the next day cleaning his home and grocery shopping. After hearing that he was back, Naruto had burst into his house demanding a sparring session with their usual wager of loser buying lunch. Sasuke honestly hadn’t planned on seeing Kanami for at least another day to give himself some time to readjust to being back in the village and back around people that he wasn’t hunting.

“He did go see Sakura the night he got back, so I feel like he could have sparred with me before all his sleeping too!” Naruto laughed loudly. Sasuke cursed under his breath and threw a chopstick at Naruto’s head, hitting the most sensitive part of his outer ear. Naruto glared over Kanami’s head, rubbing his sore ear. Ignoring Naruto’s glare, Sasuke looked down to see Kanami’s head lowered and her hands clutching her dress until her knuckles were white.

“You went to see Sakura?” Kanami’s eyes narrowed and she just barely managed to keep the accusatory edge out of her voice. Of course, he’d gone to see Sakura before her; why was she even surprised?

“Injury,” Sasuke said curtly, still glaring at Naruto who hadn’t caught on to Kanami’s changing mood.

“Yeah, a sprained ankle stops the best of us. And Sakura’s place is closer to the gate than the hospital, so it’s easier to go there, unless Sakura’s working a shift at the hospital. Then Sasuke just pops into her office and she knows he’s there,” Naruto continued, smiling easily, still oblivious to Kanami’s eyes narrowing further.

Luckily for Naruto, Ayame appeared with Kanami’s bowl and asked Naruto how the wedding planning was going. She gave Sasuke a knowing look and Sasuke nodded back in gratitude. Naruto took the bait, digging into his ramen while discussing all of the progress he and Hinata had been making with the preparations. Kanami slurped her ramen quietly, and Sasuke knew that while the conversation had turned, it was far from over.

Once she finished her bowl, Kanami thanked Naruto for inviting her and went to leave her ryo on the table, only for Sasuke to gently close his warm hand over her fist and shake his head. Try as she might, she couldn’t resist the pleasant shock that rolled down her body at his touch. She wasn’t going to let such a simple gesture steal her anger. She gave him a gritted smile, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the shop and into the street to continue her errands for the day. She heard Sasuke get up from his stool, but she was determined not to look back.

“Kanami,” He called calmly, with little emotion in his voice. Granted he was never very expressive in public, but he could at least sound contrite and not as if she were a bug buzzing annoyingly around his face!

“What?” She snipped. She usually wasn’t one to let her temper show, but Sasuke had gotten under her skin from the first moment their eyes had met in the Shuriken Bar over a year ago. He had smirked at her, and she had never felt more weightless than being trapped by his beautiful eyes and gorgeous mouth. She had thought the intensity of his effect on her would fade to a reasonable amount as all affections simmer when the newness of a crush turns into a deeper feeling of love, but Sasuke had managed to keep her mind, body, and heart as jumpy as a livewire. A year later, and he still had the power to make her feel out of control.

“Not here,” he said calmly, his eyes sliding to an older shop keeper who was watching them with piqued interest. Of course. He was always aware of his surroundings and who was paying attention; Kanami wondered if that was mainly from his shinobi training or from his training as a member of the noble Uchiha clan. Sasuke stepped closer to her, gently placing his hand on her elbow before removing it, which was as much affection as she knew he was comfortable showing in public.

“We’ll talk later,” he whispered so that only she could hear. “I have somethings I still need to take care of, but I’ll be over in a few days.” He looked down expectantly. Kanami let some of her anger deflate, lowering her shoulders and taking a deep breath.

“Fine,” She whispered softly, and turned to go about her day.

Sasuke watched her disappear into the crowded streets of Konoha, relieved that she hadn’t resorted to making a scene in the middle of the street. He was not looking forward to their conversation later and wondered how many days he could put it off for before Kami-sama would deliberately throw her in his path. It wasn’t that he was avoiding her, per say; the only person he had planned on seeing so soon after his return was Sakura. He just needed some time and space for his hyperawareness to come down. Sparring with Naruto helped him let go of some of that energy, but Sakura knew how to let his mind go blank for a few hours, enough for him to feel normal again.

* * *

Fugaku Uchiha sat quietly at the main house’s dining table; to anyone else, he would have appeared calm and unaffected, but to his closest family members, it was obvious that he was becoming quite anxious with his task. Fugaku had at first been quite resolute in preparing the list of women for Sasuke to pick from, to ensure only the best possibilities for the future leadership of the clan. What he hadn’t anticipated was the sheer number of women he would have to weed through to compile Sasuke’s list. Itachi hadn’t needed a list. Before the council could bring up Itachi’s marriage prospects, he had already proposed to Izumi and informed the council that he would abdicate his title if they did not agree with his choice; the council couldn’t have capitulated faster, and Fugaku had been proud to see his eldest so sure of his path.

As he sat with nearly 100 synopses on the women of the clan, Fugaku was grateful with his wife’s demands that Itachi, Izumi, and Shisui help him. They’d begun as soon as the council had given the month time frame, scanning the records of all of the unmarried women in the clan who were between 31 and 20. Now they were focusing on the shinobi status of each woman to filter out those who had not advanced to chunin; the women who had not advanced to jonin would be next. Fugaku fought back a sigh as Itachi and Izumi passed him their stacks of the women who had met that qualification.

“My eyes are going to fall out of my head,” Shisui pushed his stack away, standing to stretch his sore lower back. Izumi made a sound in agreement, rubbing her exhausted eyes; the characters had all started to run together on the page. Itachi looked at his wife and cousin, giving a sympathetic smile, but turned back to the next pile he was to go through.

“Then it’s a good thing lunch is ready!” Mikoto called from the kitchen archway. The four cleared off the table, careful not to mix the piles of applications while Mikoto brought out dishes of steamed rice, vegetables, and fish.

“This looks great, Mikoto-san. Thank you,” Izumi smiled at her mother-in-law with relief.

“Oh, you’re welcome dear. You’ve all been working so hard with all this; you were bound to need a break soon,” Mikoto folded her legs under her body and sat patiently on the cushion, waiting for her family to pick up their chopsticks. They said the customary “Ittadakimasu” and began eating.

“I didn’t think it would be this intense. So many girls!” Izumi said between bites of her vegetables.

“It’s important that we choose the right ones. Spending one’s life with someone is no task to be taken lightly,” Fugaku informed while filling his wife’s teacup with the Jasmine blend she’d prepared. Itachi hummed in agreement.

“I’ll say. Have to make sure you pick the best of the crop,” Mikoto laughed. Fugaku felt his cheeks heat up and let his lips form a small smile at his wife’s amusement.

“I can’t imagine that Otou-san had anyone else in mind, Okaa-san,” Itachi smirked at his mother, taking a bite from his own plate. Mikoto laughed even harder, squeezing her husband’s hand with affection.

“If only Sasuke would be so kind to help us out,” Shisui chimed in. “Then we wouldn’t need this endless sea of women to sort through.”

“Surely, there have already been some stand-outs,” Mikoto reasoned, but the four bowed their heads with large sighs.

“What about Amari-chan, Yashiki’s daughter. She’s kind and intelligent,” she continued.

“And quiet as a mouse. She doesn’t have a strong enough personality to curb Sasuke’s stubbornness, let alone lead the Uchiha if she had to,” Itachi had already set aside her synopsis as soon as he saw it. His brother was quite pigheaded when he believed he was right, and Amari would give in to his every whim.

“Yayuna then, she’s strong-willed—”

“And _loved_ by the men in the village. No way the council will go for her with the whispers of her reputation,” Shisui mumbled under his breath, disguising it with a sip of his tea.

“Which is unfair,” Izumi jumped in. Shisui held his hands up quickly in surrender, not ready to incur her wrath. Reputation was a sore spot with Izumi since her own mother had been largely ostracized for marrying outside of the clan, and she had faced heavy criticism for not being a full-blood Uchiha. No one said it directly to the head family’s face, but they all knew there were whispers about Itachi’s choice of bride, one reason why Itachi had been so ready to abdicate his position.

“While there is nothing wrong with her enjoyment, it would not bode well for men to boast that they had encounters with the wife of a head family member, or a woman who would take over as Matriarch if necessary,” Itachi placed his hand on Izumi’s knee. Izumi frowned, but knew he had a sound argument. While she escaped the boldness of her critics because Itachi would be taking over the clan soon, Yayuna would not be so lucky as the wife of the second son, even if Sasuke was currently the heir. The Uchiha could be quite the pompous archaic clan, and the elders were old curmudgeons set in their ways.

“You’re right,” Izumi grumbled. “Besides, Sasuke isn’t too fond of women from the clan. He has a different woman in mind it seems.”

“Who? Sakura? Really? She’d flatten him before the ceremony even starts,” Shisui laughed, reaching his chopsticks to the serving plate for a new piece of fish. Itachi used all of his strength not to roll his eyes while Izumi looked mortified.

“Shisui,” Itachi scolded, but it was too late; Mikoto already had a glint of joy and mischief in her eyes.

“Sasuke has been seeing Sakura-chan?” Mikoto asked hopefully.

“I mean they’re just f—ow!” Shisui was cut off by a sharp pinch from Izumi, forcing him to drop the piece of fish in his lap.

“No, no. Sasuke has definitely **not** been seeing Sakura-chan,” Izumi laughed awkwardly, looking to Itachi for help. Itachi shook his head and sighed. In earlier years, his mother had not been subtle in her approval of Sakura; she’d kept a close eye on the kunoichi’s development, mentioning her achievements as she grew throughout the ranks as a shinobi and medic. Sasuke had always maintained that he and Sakura were comrades, nothing more, but Itachi was convinced their mother was aware of Sasuke and Sakura’s arrangement. Why she hadn’t pressed the issue Itachi wasn’t sure, since Sasuke was notoriously devoted to their mother; he’d never been able to lie to her, so if Mikoto asked him directly, she’d have her answers.

“Sasuke has been seeing a civilian girl for the past year,” Itachi filled in before taking a bite of food from his plate. Mikoto’s joy deflated and she shook her head in disbelief. It was almost as if the gods were conspiring against her. Mikoto had watched the way her son and Sakura interacted when they were younger whenever the girl came over to collect Sasuke for trainings or missions. Sasuke was always attentive, listening as Sakura chatted happily and turning his body to show her that she had his full attention.

Somehow, Sakura had managed to convince Sasuke, who hated large gatherings, to join her and their classmates for festivals, even after Mikoto or Naruto received a firm “no” when asking if he would be attending. Sasuke’s eyes would widen, just enough to show his admiration, when Sakura appeared at their doorway dressed in her traditional yukatas or kimonos. He’d turn his head in as much embarrassment as his pride would allow him to show, Sakura would compliment him, and then he would turn back to give his gesture of kindness before rushing them both out the door. After years of seeing the way Sasuke and Sakura interacted, Mikoto thought that maybe there was a chance for romance to finally bloom between them, but now the dream of Sakura as her daughter-in-law was going up in smoke faster than her garden when the boys were learning their fireball jutsu.

Sasuke wasn’t one to waste time, especially on people who he deemed unworthy of that time. So if he had indeed been seeing this civilian girl for so long, Mikoto was sure that he would be asking the clan elders and his father for their approval at the next meeting in two weeks. Mikoto prayed that she would have the strength to welcome the girl into her family with open arms and not compare her to Sakura.

“Right, well good luck with that list! I look forward to hearing Sasuke’s proposal about that civilian girl in a few weeks,” Shisui grabbed his dishes and set them on the counter to make it easier on his aunt. He walked over to the door and slipped on his ninja shoes before waving. “I’m off to my physical; hopefully, I’ll get Sakura-chan so she can give me a lollipop!”

Itachi slowly blinked to disguise his eye roll as his cousin disappeared out the door. Izumi patted his hand beneath the table and gave him a sympathetic smile, not hiding her amusement very well. For such an elite shinobi, Shisui was the least discrete Uchiha Itachi had ever known. It was no secret that Sasuke was protective of Sakura, and Shisui’s flirting, while intentionally harmless, rankled Sasuke’s nerves to no end.

“Huu, guess Shisui might be my only hope in getting Sakura-chan into the family,” Mikoto sighed.

“I wouldn’t count on that working, Mikoto-san. Here, let me help you clean up,” Izumi offered, rising to help her dejected mother-in-law clear the table.


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura cracked her neck, readjusting her posture to give some relief to her stiff back and shoulders. The poor chunin looked at her pleadingly, and Sakura sighed in defeat.

“Alright, let’s call it night,” Sakura began to slip the ties around the mountain of scrolls piled on the table; the contents of the scrolls ranged from previous budgets and financial policies to infrastructure plans and shinobi retention rates in Konoha’s ranks. The chunin gave her a relieved smile and began to hurriedly clean up their mess. Sakura gave a small smile at the kid’s enthusiasm to be done for the day; if only she could have so much happiness left after another day of failure.

“It’s alright Mina. Go ahead, I’ll handle all of this,” Sakura needed the peace to collect her thoughts and soothe her mood anyway.

“Are you sure, Sakura-senpai?” The girl asked, hoping that her politeness wouldn’t get her trapped in the clean-up. When Sakura waved the girl on, Mina gathered her things quickly and wished Sakura a goodnight. Sakura reciprocated her goodnight then turned back to the pile of scrolls with another dejected sigh. How hard was it to find one shred of hope in all these scrolls? Surely someone had already documented the ill health effects of trauma on children, even if they didn’t know it was so closely linked to the brain! She couldn’t have been the first medic to recognize the connection and work to change it, could she?

All she needed was closely documented evidence and Konoha’s council would have to stop sending her on this unnecessary scavenger hunt and fund the damn hospital already! It wasn’t like Konoha didn’t have the space or money; the old coots were just set in their ways and only accepted the argument of “We’ve always done it this way.” Sakura desperately wanted to answer that “doing it this way” was exactly why so many shinobi had unhealthy coping mechanisms or burned themselves out; doing it the way Konoha had always done it wasn’t working.

Sakura took a deep breath, releasing her subconscious grip on the table before she owned the archives department another one. There was no use getting rattled up when she really needed to focus on calming herself down. She’d figure this out; she had to. Sakura separated the scrolls into categories based on their contents and sealed them into storage scrolls for easier transportation. Once the table was cleared off, she walked to the front desk and documented all of the scrolls she was taking with her from the archives. The clerk at the front desk gave her a sympathetic smile as if to ask “Again?” to which Sakura nodded her head. Konoha’s children depended on her research; she couldn’t fail them.

After signing out all of the scrolls for the night, Sakura gave a tired wave and exited Konoha’s library out into the dimming autumn sun. She stopped by a restaurant to grab a teriyaki bento and dango for dinner, then began the long trek back to her apartment.

_‘Maybe the Yamanaka have something already documented. I could ask Ino to take a look at her family archives. Or maybe the Nara clan; Shikaku-san has to have some information with that being his expertise and all. I don’t really want to ask Ibiki-san; anything the Interrogation and Torture unit knows about mental health is bound to be completely unsuitable for application to children.’_ Sakura slammed into a solid body, nearly falling back on her ass before a warm arm wrapped itself around her waist. Sakura looked up, about to apologize profusely before she realized it was Sasuke.

“I didn’t think you were actually going to walk into me,” Sasuke smirked at the distracted rosette. He’d seen Sakura walking out of the restaurant with her brow furrowed in deep thought. When he stepped in her path, he thought she would subconsciously sidestep him and continue walking, but instead she’d stayed firmly in her train of thought, sending her body barreling into his chest.

“Sorry. It’s just been a long day,” Sakura sighed. Sasuke made a sound of understanding and removed his hand from her waist, falling into step beside her. He held his hand out for her To-Go bag, which she gladly handed over. Sasuke glanced in the bag and raised his eyebrow at the box of dango; she must really need a break if she didn’t have the energy to go to her favorite dango shop and settled for the closest option instead. He’d have to make a mental note to stop by and grab some the next time he was by the Academy. The pair walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Sakura deciding to ask Ino and Shikaku-san for help, Sasuke watching the lights of the night shops come on and people hurrying to one last store before they closed for the night.

“Naruto said Konoha’s council has been giving you trouble,” Sasuke began, allowing Sakura a place to start if she wanted one. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed as he watched her shoulders fall.

“It shouldn’t be this hard, Sasuke! These are children, and Konoha is failing them. I just don’t understand why it’s so hard for those old coots to see that.” The frustration was evident in her voice and the tears nearly pooling in her eyes. Sasuke nodded. It wasn’t like he really knew. He’d yet to hear how they justified not building the hospital or at the very least setting aside funds to begin making preparations. Though it was obvious to the Uchiha that the council often cared more about their own power than about helping the people of the village, they could at least pretend to the other members of the village that they had more concern.

“You’ll have to show them,” He looked off to the brilliant colors of the dusk sky: pinks, purples, blues, oranges mixing together just beyond the horizon.

“I’ve been looking through the archives for days. It’d be just my luck if they buried whatever scrolls might have actually been useful,” she grumbled.

“Probably,” Sasuke joked. Against her will, Sakura released a laugh at his dry delivery and pushed him lightly.

“I hate you,” she smiled at him.

“No you don’t,” Sasuke smirked confidently and continued walking with his hands in his pockets. The shinobi turned right to begin their walk down the last alleyway to Sakura’s apartment.

“Oh yes I do. Maybe I _should_ take Shisui up on his offer,” Sakura taunted, knowing full well that any mention of the older man would cause Sasuke’s hackles to rise. Sasuke glared at her, almost pouting petulantly. Sakura snickered behind her fist; it really was ridiculous that Sasuke’s mini rivalry with his cousin stemmed from Itachi’s divided attention when they were younger. Best friend vs. little brother. After hearing how Sasuke and Naruto always ruined her dates, Shisui had made it very clear that Sakura’s attention would be his target to torment Sasuke’s possessive streak, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy watching someone ruffle Sasuke’s delicate feathers.

‘ _Sasuke was wholly too used to everyone fawning over him; serves him right to have to work a little,’_ Sakura thought.

“You wouldn’t, would you?” He looked at her skeptically. There was no way Sakura would start fooling around with his annoying older cousin. They’d be at each other’s throats in a heartbeat; angry sex would only hold off her temper for so long. Though Sasuke would secretly enjoy betting on how long it would take for Sakura to get sick of Shisui and punt him across the village.

Sakura scoffed as if offended that he would even have to ask: “Of course not! It’d be like fooling around with Naruto…albeit prettier.” Sakura climbed the steps to her apartment, thankful that it was only a few floors. Though everyone else was determined to use her window as the only entrance and exit point, she at least liked to use the door for some sense of normality.

“I’ll tell him you said pretty,” Sasuke said as he leaned against the wall, waiting for Sakura to fish out her keys beneath the plethora of storage scrolls and lip balm in her bag. Opening the door, Sakura toed off her shoes and tossed her keys into the ceramic dish on the end table next to the couch. Sasuke took off his own shoes, set her dinner down on the coffee table, and continued into the kitchen with the box of dango.

“Please don’t tell him. It would just boost his ego, and then I’d never be able to get his head through a hospital door again,” Sakura collapsed on her couch, finally able to have a soft cushion against her back after hours of hunching over scrolls and notebooks and journals.

“Hn,” Sasuke pushed out air through his nose. She smiled at his way of showing amusement. Sakura heard tinkling in the kitchen and knew that he was making tea.

“Chamomile please!”

“Hn.” _‘I know_. _’_ How she could drink the stuff, Sasuke would never understand, but he’d learned from too many late nights of her grumbling about the stuff while rummaging through his and Naruto’s cabinets that chamomile was her tea of choice to wind down from the day. Sasuke flipped on her electric kettle and made himself a cup of hot cinnamon tea while the water heated to the appropriate temperature. He placed both of their teacups on a plate with chopsticks and walked into the living room. Sakura had already opened the bento box and divided it evenly between them. Once he scooped his share onto the plate, Sakura turned to place her legs on his lap and dug into her own.

“Hey, you know Naruto told me about your spar a few days ago,” She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows and toes suggestively. Sasuke kept his eyes on his plate, refusing to look over at the goofy grin he knew would be on her face; he had half a mind to shove her feet to the ground and make her roll off the couch.

“That idiot.”

“You really shouldn’t be so mean to the girls, Sasuke; they miss you when you’re gone. They’d give anything to spend a little more time with you,” Sakura dug her toe into his thigh in jest, then scooped a chuck of rice into her mouth.

“Shut up,” Sasuke grumbled, highly embarrassed. Sakura laughed as the tips of his ears turned red; he was so cute when he tried to act tough and unaffected.

“Oh come on! Toads not doing it for you?” She asked in a tempting voice, barely managing to get the absurd question out of her mouth without bursting into a fit of giggles.

“Sakura, I will incinerate your dango.” Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued eating his share of the teriyaki chicken and rice. What kind of stupid question was that anyway?

“Fine,” Sakura humphed and set her plate on the table to pick up her teacup. She took a sip of the hot tea before adding with a laugh: “I’m sure Kanami would agree with me; she’d probably empathize with the toads best!”

Sasuke’s shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly, but it was just enough for Sakura to notice. She took another sip of her tea, and stared at him, waiting for him to finally get annoyed with her enough to give her some sort of details; she didn’t have to wait long.

“We saw her outside Ichiraku after our spar. Naruto called her over to have lunch with us and proceeded to tell her that I’d seen you before seeing him or her.” Sasuke finished his own meal and set the plate on the coffee table. Instead of picking up his teacup though, he rested his elbows on the back of the couch.

“You’re joking; he didn’t!” Sakura gasped in disbelief. Sasuke nodded confirming that, yes, Naruto had in fact waved their situation in front of Sasuke’s girlfriend’s face. Even though Naruto didn’t know that she and Sasuke were fooling around, Sakura wasn’t certain that Kanami knew that Naruto didn’t know about the arrangement; not that it would matter much. His careless comment still must have hurt. Sakura braced herself for what she knew was about to be the worst part.

“Please tell me that you had seen Kanami _before_ running into her at Ichiraku,” Sakura pleaded. Sasuke shook his head. “Please tell me that you have at least seen her _once_ since that run-in.” When Sasuke shook his head again, Sakura seriously wondered how he had managed to stay alive to this moment. How had Kanami not decked him in the face yet? Kanami may be tolerant of Sasuke’s needs since they weren’t making any serious plans for the future, but Sakura was certain there could only be so much the girl could take; Sasuke was gorgeous, but he wasn’t _that_ gorgeous.

“Naruto’s obliviousness is going to get him killed someday, but honestly Sasuke, you should make up your mind soon. You’re going to have to give her some sort of hint of what your intentions are.” Sakura crossed her ankles on his lap as if to emphasize her point.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and downed his tea in one gulp before returning his arms back to the back of the couch. “It won’t matter soon enough. The clan elders are choosing the women they’d accept me courting.”

Sakura’s hand froze on her teacup at his admission. True they were all getting older, but were the clan elders really going to dictate the women Sasuke could marry? What if he didn’t feel a spark with any of them? What if he never truly fell in love? Would his clan really consign him to that loneliness? Sakura ignored the distaste of a darker voice whispering thoughts of what that meant for her and Sasuke’s arrangement; she swallowed the last of her tea to try to get rid of the uncomfortable knot tightening in her belly.

“What, you wouldn’t take a page from Itachi’s book and threaten to leave the clan?” Sakura gave a laugh, hoping that he wouldn’t hear how false it sounded even to her own ears. Sasuke looked at her, shaking his head.

“Not for her.” He held Sakura’s gaze for a breath, two, before she had to look away. To lighten the mood, Sakura place her teacup back on the coffee table and gave him a coquettish look through her lashes.

“Well, we better make the most of it, ne Sasuke?” Sakura slowly lifted her ankle off of the other and flashed him a come-hither smile. Catching on immediately, Sasuke smirked and picked her ankles up off his lap, encouraging her to bend her knees. He skimmed his fingers lightly over the muscles of her calves, causing a ticklish but pleasurable feeling to run up her leg. Sasuke stood up, towering over her on the couch, and Sakura turned so that she was sitting normally. He scooted the coffee table back a bit, then grabbed her shorts. She lifted her hips up, allowing him to pull them down her legs in one easy motion. Then, Sasuke grazed his fingers over the sensitive line where her underwear met her thigh, only to wrap his fingers in the thin lace waist band of her navy blue thong with a smirk.

“Don’t you dare—” But before Sakura could finish the command, Sasuke ripped the delicate fabric from her hips like it was paper. Sakura felt her core wet immediately from his cave man-ish but very, very hot display of strength. She glared half-heartedly only to bite her lip when he sank down to his knees, smirk still arrogantly in place. Okay, Sakura took it back; she could clearly see how Kanami could put up with so much; Sasuke was undeniably beautiful, and that smirk of his could tempt a monk.

Without breaking their gaze, Sasuke placed her legs over his shoulder and shifted her so that her lower body was presented to him like an offering to the gods. Sakura’s breath came shallow as she waited for his next move. With her core nearly dripping in anticipation in front of him, Sasuke ran his fingers up her slit, pressing just enough to open the puffy lips before continuing up to round her clit. Sakura let out a shaky breath and subconsciously rolled her hips up in time with his finger. Giving her a devilish look, Sasuke wrapped his arms around her thighs and ate her ferociously. He began by enclosing his lips around her clit and using the tip of his tongue to swirl around the delicate nub. He made a suckling motion with his lips, drawing her clit further into his mouth and back out in a consistent rhythm of pleasure.

“Sasuke,” Sakura moaned, fingers flexing through her hair as she rested her head against the couch back. She could feel his lips tug into a smirk around her clit, then return to their suckling motion. Her nipples tingled with the seductive push and pull of his lips, but she needed more from him. She shifted her hips, trying to get him to move lower, but Sasuke pressed his hands on her hips and moved away.

“Be patient,” He commanded in a husky voice that held a dark promise of the pleasure that would come if only she obeyed his desire. Sakura whined in her throat but stilled her hips. Sasuke traced the sensitive skin of her inner lips with extra care not to touch her hole like she wanted, just to see if she would be good for him. He could practically feel her restraining the urge to press her hips forward and rewarded her with another lap of his tongue around her lips, ending with a long suck of her clit. He took a prolonged lick up her slit with the flat of his tongue, smacking his lips to create the wet sounds he knew she liked to hear. For Sakura, the sounds of him eating her cunt were just as erotic as the feel of it.

She was going crazy. Sasuke was relentless in teasing her with his talented tongue and she desperately wanted his attention elsewhere. She wanted him to fill her, but he was taking his sweet time! Sasuke tapped his tongue repeatedly over her clit, sparking her nerves with each fleeting touch. Moans ending in whines filled her living room in a chorus of sexual pleasure and torment. Finally having enough of teasing her, Sasuke stuck his tongue inside her and slurped up all of the slick juice coating her inner walls. Sakura screamed in ecstasy, uncaring whether or not her neighbors heard their sensual exploits. All Sakura could focus on was the intense joy thrumming through her body. Sasuke lifted his hand off of her hips and allowed her to move them in time with the surging thrusts of his tongue.

Sasuke relished feasting on the taste and smell of her stickiness. The way she rolled her hips, fucking herself with his tongue, begged him to push further inside her, to give her muscles something bigger to clamp onto. But tonight he wanted to focus on helping her release her own stress; there’d be plenty of time for rough and dirty sex later. However, the sharp tugging of his lower body reminded him that even with the sex he’d had with Sakura when he returned, he still was celibate for a month while on his mission. He needed relief. His cock throbbed for attention against the front of his pants. Untangling his hands from Sakura’s powerful thighs, Sasuke used one hand to pull himself out and synchronized his strokes with her undulating hips. With his other hand, Sasuke used two fingers to join his tongue inside her. He closed his eyes to revel in the feel of his hand covering his bulbous tip and spreading his precum up and down his pounding shaft.

“Sasuke, please don’t stop! Please!” Sakura’s hands found purchase in Sasuke’s silky hair. She pulled him closer to her and rode his face, desperately racing towards her orgasm. She moaned his name like a devout prayer to a god of pleasure. Sasuke looked up to drink her in: her eyes were closed and faced scrunched in pleasure, her lips were red from biting, her body arched to offer herself to him, her pink hair fanned out behind her on the couch back, sweaty and tangled from tossing her head back and forth. She was beautiful, and she was so close he could feel her body starting the rhythmic clenching that always foretold her oncoming climax.

“Are you close, Sakura?” He asked, but already knew the answer. He continued to pump his fingers in and out of her in time with his strokes, listening to the wet squelch of her inner muscles. Sakura nodded, feeling electricity lighting up her body. Her nipples tingled and she pinched them to try to relieve the ache.

“Sasuke,” she whined breathlessly. Her muscles bunched further and further, like a wire being pulled around a post to tightly.

“Let me hear you, Sakura,” His own orgasm was impending, but he needed her to come first so he could stand up. Sasuke used his thumb to twirl around her clit and changed the angle of his fingers just enough to thrust up into her upper walls and make a curling motion to drag out the pleasure on her most intimate spot.

“Sasu—”

“Cum for me, Sakura,” He ordered, and her flood gates burst wide open.

“Sasuke-kun!” Sakura shouted out. Her body was overtaken with a powerful orgasm, sending her own juices cascading over his fingers and onto her couch. Sasuke stood up immediately and lifted her shirt. He threw his head back and pressed his hips forward into his fisted hand. His balls scrunched up and he ejaculated ropes of hot seed all over her stomach and in the pink hair curling in a delicate triangle over her mound. He groaned as he emptied himself over her, the muscles of his ass clenching to force out every last drop.

“Fuck.” He looked down at her disheveled appearance with a smirk and caressed his fingers, still slick with her desire, down her cheek. Sakura gave him a sedated smile then took the fingers into her mouth and cleaned them off with her dexterous tongue. Sasuke licked his lips and watched her until she released his fingers with a satisfied ‘pop.’ Their breathing came out ragged as they both savored the high of a good orgasm.

Sasuke walked on slightly shaky legs to her bathroom to retrieve a washcloth. He dampened the cloth then came back and wiped his seed off of her taunt stomach and the couch. Once she was cleaned there, he wiped her inner thighs, smirking when her breath caught from the cool cloth brushing against her hot core. Lastly, Sasuke wiped himself off, then went into her bedroom to drop the cloth in her dirty clothes hamper. When he came back, Sakura had shuffled back into her shorts and was clasping her legs together tightly, savoring the final aftershocks of her orgasm.

“Hmm, now I’m ready for dessert,” She laughed, completely satisfied with herself.

“I’ve already had mine,” Sasuke smirked, wiping his hand across his mouth with a devilish glint in his eyes.

“Idiot.” Sakura pushed off the couch and bumped him lightly as she cleaned up their dinner. She grabbed all the dishes and took them to the kitchen while he pushed her coffee table back to its rightful place. When he walked into the kitchen, Sakura was at the sink, placing the dishes in the running water with one hand and holding a stick of dango in the other. Sasuke walked up to her, caging her in tightly with his hands on the counter, and pressed his hips against her. Sakura let her head fall to the side on his shoulder as she felt his half hard length rolling into the cleft of her ass. Her body tingled and she clenched her thighs together to try to stifle the quick heat of desire that flared from her clit up. Sasuke pulled the dango stick out of her mouth slowly, watching closely as her lips and tongue formed a tantalizing shape over the ball of dango she slipped off the stick. He placed the stick on the counter and kissed her neck as she chewed and swallowed the sweet treat. She started washing the dishes, trying desperately to ignore the seductive allure of a warm, hard male body pressed against her.

“Next time like this,” He whispered darkly in her ear.

“Get going, Uchiha; you still have a girlfriend to see eventually you know.” Sakura ordered without much actual heat.

“Hn.” Sasuke breathed humorously against her skin. She felt Sasuke’s lips smirk on her neck and then nothing as he stepped back and disappeared from her apartment. Sakura shifted her legs together one last time, drawing out the delicious curls of sated pleasure he had given her body.

_‘That promise of next time had better come sooner than later,’_ She thought, then finished cleaning the dishes. Sakura walked out to her living room, glanced at the storage scrolls calling her from the end table and shook her head. There was no way she was killing her buzz with work tonight. She stripped out of her clothes and decided to run a nice hot bubble bath to complete her relaxation before she went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Fugaku scanned the contents of the scroll one last time, making sure that his handwriting was impeccably neat. He was nervous. He was so rarely nervous, but this moment felt monumental. He was sure in his path, sure that he, his son, and his nephew had made the best possible choice for Sasuke and the clan. But if he was so certain, why did the decision gnaw at his gut? What if they had picked the best for Sasuke but not for the clan? Or what if they had picked the best for the clan but not for Sasuke? Fugaku knew that his wife would strangle him if Sasuke ended up unhappy with any of the women the council chose; she had joked as much as she teased him with drops of water running down her legs in the bath, but leaning on the counter watching her, he knew she was deathly serious. Mikoto would not stand by and let her youngest be miserable for the rest of his life.

Sighing, Fugaku resisted the urge to rewrite the scroll for the fourth time. He rolled it up, tied it, and placed his seal on it. The drying wax acted as a symbol of finality; it was official, and there was no changing it now. He stood from his desk and grabbed the scroll, felt its hallowed weight, and walked towards the door of the house. Fugaku took cautious steps, looking around each corner of the hallway with a shinobi’s precision. Once he was certain it was clear, he opened the door and stepped onto the back porch.

“Is that it?” Mikoto called from her garden. Fugaku’s heart nearly stopped and he had just enough discipline to not clutch his chest to calm the franticly beating muscle. He would never admit that he was sneaking around in his own house…but he certainly hadn’t wanted to run into his wife before the troublesome scroll was delivered. He should have sent it by ferret.

“Yes,” he replied gruffly, discretely taking deep breaths. A wily smile spread across Mikoto’s lips as she rose and dusted her hands off on her dress. Fugaku watched her smile with concealed fear; her smooth lips revealing dazzling white teeth was the last thing many shinobi saw before she shut their eyes forever. Fugaku was no stranger to that smile himself. It had ensnared him, beguiled him, until before he knew it, he hung on her every word. Itachi hadn’t been wrong when he said that he couldn’t imagine his father thinking of any other woman; Mikoto had always had an uncanny ability to command his attention. Like Itachi, Fugaku hadn’t needed a selection of women; all he had needed was to take one look at Mikoto and she had captured him like a genjutsu he never wanted release from. Fugaku could see that Izumi had done the same with Itachi. Now, he could only hope that Sasuke would experience such a moving desire, and that his future wife would be deserving of such attention.

Mikoto strolled up to her husband like a cat cornering an unsuspecting mouse. She smiled brighter when she saw Fugaku’s Adam’s apple work in his throat. Coming to a stop just in front of him, Mikoto placed her hand on his chest for leverage to kiss his cheek. His throat bobbed again. She pressed her lips lightly to the rough skin of his weather-worn cheek and traced her finger over his pectoral muscles. When she moved back, she could easily see warm affection in his dark eyes.

“Can I see it?” She asked sweetly. Fugaku took a deep breath, trying to find the energy to glare at her, but the playful twinkle in her eyes made such an act impossible.

“Mikoto,” He grumbled, but she tossed her hair lightly.

“I only want to know what women stood up to the incredible scrutiny of the head of the clan and his trusted son and nephew.” She smiled and feigned deference. Fugaku was not fooled in the slightest. His wife only wanted to know who was on the list in order to conduct her own investigation.

“You will know when Sasuke makes his decision.”

“You can’t even give me one name?” Mikoto asked in a honeyed voice, batting her dark, luxurious lashes. Fugaku shook his head and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. He squeezed her hand gently and backed away.

“I’ll be home shortly,” he called back and walked towards his destination, hoping that he was not carrying his youngest son’s sentence.

* * *

The walk to the council room was too peaceful and leisurely for Fugaku. Not because the village was being threatened, but because he felt the weight of the scroll in his hand with every step. As he walked, Fugaku watched older children playing without a care, mothers herding young children off for their naps, shopkeepers flocking their wares, people strolling along under the brilliance of the blue sky and warm sunshine; his people were at peace. But the scroll in his hand felt tumultuous to this peace, out of place. Fugaku nodded to everyone who turned to greet him, pausing their activity to acknowledge he who was so critical to their peace.

He wondered if they would do the same for Sasuke? With his wife at his side, would Sasuke garner this same reaction? Would the clan look at his wife with warmth, or would they show respectable deference, only for their eyes to remain chilled? Would they whisper as she passed, not outwardly defying her, but clearly establishing that she was not welcomed as a leader? Izumi had faced a cool reaction due to her heritage, but after seeing Itachi’s sheer devotion to his wife, many were willing to reexamine their initial judgements of her. Adolescent girls, romanticizing Itachi’s refusal to have any other, openly voiced their desire for a similar romance to the boys of their age. Older Uchiha looked to their own spouses with a twinkle in their eye, remembering the fire of their own young love. Fugaku mentally shook his head. Izumi had been the perfect choice for Itachi. He had to believe that written in this scroll was the perfect choice for Sasuke as well. If he didn’t believe it, it would be impossible for the council to believe it.

Reaching the council room where the elders of the clan conferred, Fugaku opened the shōji doors and slipped his shoes off before stepping onto the tatami mat. He walked with determination to the center of the room, then bowed before the council. The 3 members bowed back and all sat at the low table with their legs crossed. A boy shadowing the elders as a secretary walked in with a steaming teapot and poured four cups of the hot liquid. He passed them all a ceramic cup, bowed, and then retreated into one of the other rooms that functioned as an office. The four drank their tea in a silence that somehow managed to be both content and heavy at the same time. Fugaku acknowledged that he was with family, his clansmen and woman, but he also acknowledged that while the elders may have the clan’s best interest at heart, they did not necessarily have Sasuke’s.

Once they finished their tea and the pleasantries were conducted, Fugaku passed the scroll to Agira, the longest serving elder and waited as she unrolled the scroll. The three studied the scroll intently, taking in every brushstroke laid carefully on the parchment. They shared a look that, characteristic of the Uchiha, revealed not much of their actual thoughts. Fugaku waited for what felt like 20 minutes before Agira finally spoke.

“You’re sure about this, Fugaku?” Her raspy voice filled the otherwise quiet chamber. Her eyes scrutinize the list sharply.

“Very,” He responded with no hesitancy.

“How were you able to come to a decision with such certainty?” Kohaku questioned, narrowing his eyes at the list again. “While you know our clan members well, we heard not much in the way of consulting and have not heard of you conducting interviews...” He trailed off. Fugaku knew exactly what the criticism was even if the elder veiled it in feigned politeness.

“It was compiled with Itachi and Shisui, who are above all else dedicated to the clan and the village. We looked through every option available to ensure that Sasuke would choose someone who would be a benefit to the clan in our domestic affairs and in our affairs with the village,” Fugaku spoke firmly. The council would not outright reject Itachi and Shisui’s opinions, who were both instrumental in handling the negotiations between the Uchiha clan and the village before the situation progressed to inevitable violence. Itachi’s insistence that the Uchiha and village elders speak was one of the clearest showings of his strength as a leader, followed closely by his assertion of Izumi as his bride.

The last elder, Teiga, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded as if processing this valuable information. The elders were silent for a long time again. Had Fugaku been a child, he would have been tempted to squirm, but he sat with his back ramrod straight, hands relaxed in his lap, waiting for their final decision. It would be up to the council to accept the list and transcribe it on a scroll that bore the official insignia of the Uchiha elders; Fugaku would then seal the scroll with his own insignia, showing that both groups were in agreement of their decision. Finally, Agira spoke again.

“Very well. If the three of you believe this, then we will draw up the scroll. I hope for the good of the clan that you all have chosen this list wisely,” She nodded her head. Kohaku’s eyes narrowed for a split second and then relaxed, but Fugaku had already taken note of the reaction. He’d have to warn Itachi that Kohaku would not be easily swayed by his sacrifices as the other two could be.

Fugaku nodded. Teiga uncrossed his arms and began to rewrite Fugaku’s scroll with painstaking care, making sure that every smooth line was perfect. Once the ink had a few moments to dry, he rolled the scroll up and secured it with a red ribbon. Fugaku placed his seal in the hot wax then watched as each elder placed their seal in order of their length of service. The seal would be stored in a secure spot until its delivery to Sasuke at the next council meeting in a few days.

Fugaku stood and bowed again, then turned and walked back to his home. When he walked in, Itachi and Shisui sat at the table, discussing perhaps their latest mission brief while Mikoto stood at the kitchen counter, arranging pots of the herbs she’d collected from her gardening earlier.

“It’s done then?” Itachi asked once he noticed his father walk through the door. Fugaku nodded, coming to sit with them at the table.

“I hope we made the right decision,” Shisui said, uncharacteristically serious for a man who was usually so jolly. Fugaku shared his sentiments but was amazed to find that he felt lighter with the weight of the scroll lifted from his shoulders.

“We cannot change our path once we have decided on it; we can only walk with conviction.”

* * *

Kanami sat staring in the mirror of her vanity, absent-mindedly brushing her long hair. It was a nightly habit. She would brush the strands until they shined a river of smooth violet under the lights of her room. While her hands were occupied with such a simple task, her mind was free to roam through her thoughts of the day, the important things she needed to do tomorrow, her hopes, her dreams, her fears…and as it had been lately, Sasuke.

She huffed, mentally shaking herself for letting his name invade her peace again. Thoughts of him had been such a constant it was almost as if her mind was not her own; as if she shared it with him. She found herself thinking of him when she picked out her outfits, wondering if he’d like to see her in one dress or the other. She thought of him when she passed by a grocer in the market, wondering if they had the type of tomatoes he ate like a child ate candy. She looked at her body in the mirror, twisting this way and that, wondering how she would look, round with his child. He was a phantom, always watching her in her mind’s eye. A knock at her window interrupted her thoughts, and it could only be him. He was the only person she knew who entered through a window rather than a door.

_‘Must be some sort of shinobi thing,’_ her mind spat with venom. How many of his quirks was she not to question because they were _shinobi_ things? His clipped answers when she asked how his mission went, his prolonged absences from the village, his refusal to tell her anymore about his upcoming missions but its location, his need for “stress relief” after a mission—Kanami rolled her eyes. Was she supposed to accept those things happily as a house pet accepted scraps from the table?

Realizing that she held a death grip on her hairbrush, she set the innocent object down and stood with as much grace as she could. She kept her shoulders back and her head forward as she turned to the window, knowing well who waited on the other side. Her hair flowed like water behind her and she kept her expression neutral as she unlocked her window and raised the glass. She moved back, allowing him to enter. Kanami watched him step through the window frame with effortless skill, as if he’d been doing it all his life.

_‘He probably has. Avoiding the neighbors seeing, no doubt,’_ her snarky inner voice supplied. She nearly frowned as she thought of all the other women whose windows he’d also entered through. Nevermind that he walked with her through the market or took her to nice restaurants when he was in the village, or that she attended gatherings with his teammates and classmates. He’d yet to introduce her to his family or invite her to his home in the Uchiha compound. Surely, he was hiding his affiliation with her.

Sasuke watched Kanami walk back to her vanity and grab a hair tie to begin braiding her hair as she did to sleep. He sat down on a stool she kept in her room, waiting for her to unleash the torrent that had no doubt been building in the few days since he’d seen her last. He deserved much of her ire. After seeing Sakura again, he hadn’t been in any particular hurry to go to Kanami. While he’d had another meeting with the Hokage, there hadn’t been anything pressing keeping him away; he’d just had no interest in going. Over the months he’d been with Kanami, their routine became mundane, boring really. He’d figured out quickly that she had few qualities that he’d want his future wife to have; he had just been needed on so many missions lately that he hadn’t really had time to break things off. Not that that would matter in a few more days.

“Glad to see you finally have time for me.” Kanami tried to sound flippant, nonchalant, but her voice held a sharper edge to it than she wanted. She wanted to appear as if he hadn’t been consuming her thoughts, as if she hadn’t been waiting for him, as if she had been going about her life and only just deigned to give him the barest of her attention. She was met with his silence. Her eyes met his through the mirror and she glared.

“Say what you need to,” Sasuke leaned back in the chair, letting it absorb his weight. Kanami turned around sharply, her braid flying haphazardly, and Sasuke mentally sighed, prepared to rehash the same old arguments.

“How kind of you, Sasuke, to present me with the opportunity,” sarcasm dripped from her lips. “You’re gone for a whole month! A month that I don’t see you. Then I just _happen_ to run into you because Naruto called me over,” She took a deep breath, waiting for his response. He remained quiet, watching her with his arms crossed at his chest. “As if that isn’t insulting enough, I found out that you went to Sakura first. Sakura! And now nearly a week later, you finally make the time to see me. Am I not supposed to be upset, Sasuke?”

He nodded his head slightly, but Kanami didn’t know if he was saying that she should be upset or not. Besides, she didn’t want a nod or a shrug; she wanted him to say that he was sorry and that he’d come to her first next time and every time after that. She wanted him to say, after a year of them being together, that she was the first person he wanted to see when he got through the gates of Konoha.

“You have nothing to say about me, your girlfriend, being the last person to know that you were alive, let alone receive some sort of attention from you?” She crossed her arms and her teal eyes turned to daggers. Sasuke inwardly cringed at the word. Girlfriend had always seemed like a juvenile word, and it implied a much more romantic tint to him examining qualities that would make a good wife and possible matriarch if need be. Some wanted romance in a marriage, expected it, but romance had never held his interest; shinobi died too quickly to wait for the foolish idea of a “one”. He wanted a wife who would share his burdens and raise his children. They didn’t have to love each other, but he did want a peaceful house born from compatibility and companionship—a nurturing wife for his children, and a nurturing aunt for his nephews or nieces. That Itachi and his father had found women they loved when they were young was an exception, not the rule.

“I had an injury. It’s standard procedure to receive healing from a medic before reporting to the Hokage,” Sasuke kept his voice neutral. Kanami threw up her hands and rolled her eyes.

“And so you went to Sakura, right? Two birds, one stone. You get your injury mended and your teammate on her knees at all hours of the night,” Kanami snarked, and saw Sasuke’s eyes narrow sharply. Finally she got some sort of reaction out of him! And of course, it just had to come with some reference to the pink haired woman who always seemed to come up whenever it came to Sasuke.

“You slept with her.” She snapped.

“Whether I slept with Sakura or not wouldn’t have mattered; it’s the fact that I went to her at all. What are you really upset about, Kanami?” Sasuke’s voice was lethally chilling, signaling that he was nearing his limit with the conversation. His eyes were narrow pinpricks beneath his sharp brow.

“What am I angry about?!” Kanami scoffed with disbelief. “I didn’t even know if you were alive, Sasuke! All I had was the hope that you were okay, that you were so great as a shinobi that you wouldn’t be hurt or worse. But she always knows, doesn’t she? She and Naruto are always the first to know that you are okay, and I’m always left with scraps!” Her voice grew higher with each sentence.

“While you were on your mission, I needed a sentence, something! Anything to let me know that you weren’t lying dead somewhere! I’ve seen you send hawks to other ninja. Is it so hard to send one to me?” Her vocal cords strained with the rising pitch of her voice.

“Unless Sakura and Naruto are on a mission with me, they find out I’m alive when I get back. I’ve told you before: I can’t risk my position by sending frivolous notes back to Konoha,” Sasuke interrupted. He gritted his teeth and felt annoyance slip through his veins. He’d never been fond of repeating himself, and Kanami’s inability to understand the most basic concept that he had already explained multiple times was grating to his nerves.

“Frivolous?” Kanami’s teal eyes watered with unshed tears that threatened to slip down her cheeks. Her lips quivered furiously, and she wished not for the first time that she could appear as schooled as him. She’d always been so painfully transparent with her feelings about him. What a gift it must be for shinobi to be able to hide their emotions. “Telling me that you’re okay is frivolous?”

“When it could jeopardize my mission, yes.” He watched as she wrapped her slim arms around her body, as if building a wall around herself to shield out his words. Sighing, Sasuke pushed out of the chair and walked over to her trembling form. He placed his hand on her shoulder blade, pressing gently to pull her into him, but loosely enough that she could break away if she didn’t want his touch. Kanami took a few deep breaths, then stepped into his embrace. Her fingers curled into a firm grip on his shirt, and she rested her head on his chest, warm and solid beneath her grip. She listened to the strong beating of his heart, a deafening rhythm proclaiming his virility and success as a ninja. His heartbeat had serenaded her to sleep on so many nights as she’d glanced up at his serene face, satisfied and worriless.

In that moment, she didn’t know who she hated more: him or herself? She hated him adhering to the unbending code of shinobi. Hated him for seeming so untouchable, like nothing she could do would ever hurt him. But she didn’t _want_ to hurt him. All she wanted, she sniffed against the liquid trying to escape her nose, was to feel like he cared. She wanted him to take her in his arms as he did now and kiss her, tell her that he would marry her, that he wanted no other woman besides her, tell her all the secrets his shinobi code or the Uchiha clan demanded he keep. She wanted him to make love to her, and in his most unguarded moments whisper his love sweetly in her ear as he moved above her. She wanted Sasuke Uchiha more desperately than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.

But maybe, maybe this was all she would get. Did that make her a fool for so desperately accepting it? Did that make her pathetic? Did she really care, so long as she could have some piece of him?

Kanami took a deep breath and brushed the back of her hand against her nose and cheeks to rid herself of the unflattering tears. She stepped back and untied the belt holding her robe together. She watched as his eyes followed the silky fabric parting to reveal her form.

“Kanami,” he breathed deeply, as if he was exasperated with fighting.

“It’s been a month,” she said quietly, as if that explained her sudden shift. “I’ve missed you.”

She let the fabric fall from her shoulders, baring her to his sharp gaze. She might not have been as practiced in seduction as a well-trained kunoichi, but she knew he enjoyed her voluptuous figure all the same. And she’d never been above using it to get what she wanted.

Sasuke’s dark eyes watched her intently, taking in her every curve. Kanami felt the usual rush when she was under his gaze. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be trapped in the Sharingan. Kanami grabbed his hand and pulled him over to her bed, lying down so he could climb on top of her. For a second, she saw his indecision and wondered if he would humiliate her this way too—leave her when she was bare for him.

Sasuke hesitated, debating if he should step out of the window as he’d come. Something in him pulled towards the window, a voice that sounded oddly feminine, but he decided against it. He pulled his shirt and jōnin pants down and settled between her legs. Kanami wrapped her arms around him, relishing in his natural warmth and the enveloping scent of him. He always smelled like fire, and she wondered if that was unique to him or if all Uchiha smelled like the element she had seen him control so easily.

When it was over, she laid on top of him, listening to his strong heartbeat as she had done countless nights before. Her nails traced the smooth expanse of his muscles and she took in his deep rhythmic breathing. But unlike those nights before, she didn’t fall into a blissful, content sleep. Instead, tears stung like pinpricks behind her eyelids, and small drops ran slowly down her cheek.

Sasuke feigned sleep. But he felt her tears, and his gut churned with bile. He should have listened to that voice telling him to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

“That is settled then. Itachi will begin attending village council meetings in preparation for his ascension as clan head. Fugaku, you will still oversee clan meetings until you and Itachi feel he has been well enough acclimated to see to his birthright. With Itachi’s prodigious mind, I doubt the wait will be long.” Fugaku nodded and stood to return back to where his family knelt listening to the proceedings. Fugaku took his spot between Itachi and Mikoto and waited for the next order of business. Agira made an annotation on the meeting scroll to note that they had finished addressing the growing changes in Itachi’s responsibilities. She passed the scroll to Kohaku who cleared his throat as if to grab everyone’s attention, even though the room had already been respectfully quiet with no objections to Fugaku’s proposal.

Izumi tried her best not to squirm, but the hairs on the back of her neck were rising in defense. She had been enduring the derisive remarks about her breeding and fertility, or lack thereof, for years now. All she had to do was make it through the next few minutes and she could escape back to her home to sob in peace and pray for another month. Why the gods refused to answer her prayers, she couldn’t comprehend. She’d done everything the Uchiha medics and monks had told her to; she’d left countless offerings at the temple, and still the gods denied her heartfelt pleas. But what churned in her gut the worst was how they denied Itachi, who she knew would be an outstanding father, and now their refusal would force Sasuke to sacrifice his own future for her insufficiency. Izumi felt terrible for wishing that the council would be quick with dispensing Sasuke’s official marriage scroll. She felt terrible for praying that Sasuke would take it without fuss so she could escape. She felt so incredibly terrible that she could feel her body heating, her clothes tightening, her throat constricting against her dinner threatening to expel out of her. Her body felt fuzzy and her head throbbed. Tears prickled behind her eyes. Her lungs screamed at her to breathe but she just couldn’t draw in air. She had to get out. She had to—.

Itachi’s cool hand settled over her own trembling ones and squeezed gently. Izumi turned to look at him, but his eyes were straight ahead on the council like every other clan member in the room. Itachi gave her three gentle squeezes, telling her privately that he loved her, that he was by her side. Izumi let out a long breath that she’d been unconsciously holding and nodded her head imperceivably to everyone but him. She turned back to see that Sasuke had stepped up to the tatami mat Fugaku had vacated and bowed, almost too shallowly, to the council before taking his seat. Izumi felt Itachi tense and knew that he was mentally shaking his head at his younger brother’s near challenge. Sasuke had never been one to posture on, always addressing the council with the barest decorum deserving of their position, but tonight it seemed he was being particularly ornery; the shallowness of his bow almost bordered on blatant disrespect. While Agira and Teiga made little sign of notice like they usually did, Kohaku’s black eyes narrowed to snake-like slits.

“How pleasant of you to join us, Sasuke. You were sorely missed at the meeting last month where we discussed quite important matters about the future of the clan,” Kohaku formed every word as if they were a distasteful meal on his tongue.

“Forgive me,” Sasuke said in a haughty tone that made it very clear that the words were not meant as an apology. “The Hokage personally requested me; I believed, by accepting such a mission, that I was showing the prowess of the Uchiha clan.” Sasuke looked the council member directly in the eye with his own gaze narrowed. While others viewed eye contact as sincere, to the Uchiha, direct eye contact could also be a challenge or insult. Deliberately looking a Sharigan user in the eye could easily be seen as a dismissal of their visual prowess as trivial or inconsequential.

Shisui snickered at his younger cousin’s words while Izumi made a nearly futile attempt to hide her smile behind her sleeve. Itachi shot both his cousin and wife a firm, disapproving look. Izumi gave an apologetic wince but Shisui kept his smile firmly in place.

“It’s good for the runt to give them a little hell; keeps ‘em alive and active,” Shisui whispered loud enough that it was obvious he wanted everyone in the room to hear. Itachi slowly blinked and took a deep breath. Sasuke smirked confidently at the panel, waiting to see if they would address or ignore Shisui’s truthful comment. Kohaku turned his frigid glare onto Shisui who held his hands up innocently. Teiga looked up to the ceiling to ask for patience and Agira shook her head fondly. As Kohaku opened his mouth to retort, Sasuke cut in.

“My brother filled me in on what seems to be my impending engagement,” Sasuke pulled everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand. He was eager to have all of this done as soon as possible. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure why they were giving him a whole list of women in the first place. If the point of his marriage was to quickly produce the next generation, it seemed far more practical to fertility test one woman and arrange their marriage, not go through a whole parade of courting one woman only to switch to another.

“Then you are well aware that even with years of… diligence, Itachi has yet to have a single heir,” Kohaku slid his gaze over to Izumi. The urge to vomit came rushing back to her, but she stamped it down before her stomach could begin convulsing. Itachi allowed his eyes to bleed crimson for only a millisecond, but of course the elder had seen Itachi’s warning; he would not let anyone, elder or no, make disparaging comments about his wife.

“As Itachi’s heir,” Teiga cut in to relieve some of the tension in the room, “it has become quite dangerous for you to continue to take Anbu missions without an heir of your own. As such, a marriage scroll has been compiled for you. The head of the clan and council have agreed on the contents of this scroll.” He held the red scroll up for all to see. All members in attendance were well aware that the scroll had been agreed upon; it was simply required formality for those who were also members of the police force to know that clan matters had proceeded by protocol and that the scroll had not been tampered with, which would have nullified the agreement. Teiga laid the scroll back on the table until it was time for Sasuke to receive it.

  
“Before we hand over the scroll, there is a concern we would like to rectify,” Agira spoke firmly. Both Fugaku and Itachi exchange glances, unsure of what concerns the council would have that wouldn’t have already been brought up during the initial revealing of the scroll. Sasuke rolled his eyes and Izumi cursed lightly under her breath. Typical. Of course, it was too much to hope for the old coots to conduct something swiftly! Shisui’s eyebrow rose with intrigue and he gave a smug look to Itachi, who refused to meet his cousin’s eye. Shisui shook his head and turned back to Sasuke, curious as to whatever supposed grievance the council had. Mikoto looked up to her husband, trying to decipher if he was at all aware of what the council could have possibly found as cause for concern. Fugaku turned his head slightly to the side, signifying that he wasn’t aware of anything either. He scowled and crossed his arms; he was not a fan of being kept deliberately in the dark, especially in matters that involved his sons.

The council said nothing more for a few moments. Sasuke rolled his eye when it became clear that the council was waiting on his response specifically before airing their grievance. He was in no mood for their dramatics.

“And what concern would that be?” Sasuke pressed.

“Our concern hinders around a…rumor, we’ll say, one that was confirmed early on,” Agira began.

“It is known that you had and are still having certain dalliances with a civilian woman.” Teiga examined the young Uchiha’s face, almost waiting for him to make the same declaration as his brother 10 years prior. When that proclamation did not come, he proceeded. “What are your intentions with the girl?”

“I was evaluating the qualities my wife would need,” Sasuke replied smoothly, not denying the rumors but also not fully telling the council what he knew they wanted to hear. With all the trouble they’d given him when he had made clear his request to join Anbu, Sasuke was reveling in a little turnabout. All members of the council frowned, clearly not enjoying his cryptic answer.

“ _And_ did she possess any of these qualities?” Kohaku huffed impatiently.

“In miniscule amounts,” Sasuke shrugged. “The civilian won’t be a problem.”

“That’s good to hear Sasuke,” Teiga nodded.

“We trust that you have been careful. We would hate for the main branch to be hampered by illegitimate blood,” Agira lowered her tone. While not meant as a threat, it was very clear to everyone in the room that Sasuke spawning an illegitimate child from a civilian girl would not be tolerated, even if the clan needed a clear heir in the next generation. Izumi tried not to take Agira’s comment personally, but every mention of illegitimate blood and children brought her back to the taunts she had suffered as a child. She wondered if those wounds would ever heal, or if her own child would face those same harsh critiques. _‘If I ever have one_ ,’ Izumi thought downtrodden.

“You know that shinobi are taught to avoid such foolish actions.” Sasuke bristled at Agira’s implication that he would be so careless. Avoiding unwanted pregnancies was drilled into every shinobi either at puberty or when they made chunin, whichever came first. For shinobi who made chunin at incredibly young ages such as Kakashi, Shisui, and Itachi, they were refreshed on the techniques to prevent pregnancy again when they hit puberty. On top of that, the training that Itachi and Sasuke received had been reinforced by their parents.

Being from one of the Four Noble clans and also the most powerful clan in Konoha, their mother had made sure they knew that an “accidental” pregnancy was not a tactic above any woman looking to gain prestige and socially advance. Since Itachi had been in love with Izumi since they were 13, it wasn’t as risky for him; no one was surprised that they married. And Sasuke was no idiot; as he grew older, he knew that many of his so-called “admirers” were women who had hoped to land Itachi. Which was another reason why his arrangement with Sakura worked so well. She was a medic who had no intentions of settling down with children just yet. Never once had he been concerned that Sakura would miss her biannual dosage of birth control. And if she somehow forgot to schedule the appointment, he knew that she would immediately perform the backup jutsu that would make her womb inhospitable. He had no trouble coming inside of her. He’d fought and almost died by her side plenty of times. He trusted her with his life.

Kanami on the other hand, never. Sasuke always pulled out and came into his hand to make sure there wasn’t even a possibility that she could get a hold of his seed. He knew she wasn’t malicious, but he’d also never take the risk of her getting pregnant when he knew that she had her eyes set on a shinobi husband; it wasn’t an accident that they’d met in a bar almost exclusively frequented by shinobi. No. He didn’t trust Kanami with enough certainty to say that she wouldn’t try it, and that lack of trust was a quality that had made him sure he could never marry her.

“There is one last question, regarding your former teammate, Haruno Sakura,” Agira prompted, pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts.

His eyes narrowed and he resisted the urge to ball his fist. “What about her?”

“We are also aware of your continued involvement with her.” Sasuke cringed when he heard his mother’s gasp from behind him. If he’d have known that his status with Sakura was going to be aired in front of his mother, he’d have asked for another month-long mission. Sasuke could practically see it now: his mother pacing in the kitchen, ranting on how she was the last to know, him trying unsuccessfully to inform her that it was only physical and an uncomfortable thing to talk to one’s mother about, all the while his brother and father would sip their tea quietly at the family table. He wasn’t looking forward to that dinner at all.

“Beyond comrades, my relationship with Sakura is based purely on physical release. We agree that when I am _formally engaged_ , the physical aspect will end and we will go back to being close friends and comrades, as we were before,” Sasuke bit out nearly every word feeling his mother’s unwavering glare on his back. Agira’s eyes slid to Fugaku, her brow raised at Sasuke’s emphasis on the engagement as the end of his physical involvement with his former teammate. Fugaku met Agira’s eyes briefly but was much more concerned with keeping an angry Mikoto in her seat. Agira turned her eyes back to Sasuke and nodded, satisfied with his answers. She nodded to Teiga, who held out the red scroll for Sasuke to take.

“This scroll contains all of the information on your marriage timeline. You will have 3 months to make a decision on your future wife. At the end of the 3-month timeframe, you will begin formal courtship and have until your 25th birthday to make a formal proposal. Your wedding will then be held by the Winter Festival. Be advised Sasuke, that if Itachi and Izumi have still not conceived in a year’s time, we will expect your wife to be pregnant within 6 months of the marriage, or we will have to annul it for a more fertile option. If that is the case, we will speak on Itachi and Izumi’s marriage at that time as well,” Teiga spoke firmly and clearly, giving Sasuke and Itachi both their clear ultimatums: 18 months, that was the maximum amount of time the council was willing to extend their wait for an heir.

Sasuke stood and grabbed the scroll, feeling its almost negligible weight in his hand; he never imagined something with such power over the future of him and his clan would take up such little space. When he turned around to go back to his seat, Sasuke shared a look with Izumi and nodded to Itachi. Sasuke wouldn’t fail them; if he produced an heir, there would be no need for Itachi to defect from the clan. And there was no doubt in his mind that Itachi would defect. He’d been ready to abdicate to have Izumi; it was no stretch of the imagination what he would be willing to do to keep her.

Sasuke tucked the scroll into his pocket and took his place in between Izumi and Shisui. Agira made an annotation next to the matter of Sasuke’s marriage scroll, then made a small mark at something lower on her administrative scroll. She looked up at Shisui as if she were dreading the words that would come out of her mouth next.

“Shisui, I’d suggest that you begin looking into possible marriage prospects as well. Since you are directly after Sasuke in the line of succession, you’ll need to find some woman willing enough to put up with your antics,” Agira’s lips tilted upward slightly.

“Don’t worry Baa-chan. I’ve got someone in mind,” Shisui said confidently. The entire council room turned to him in amazement. “But she’d be more likely to punch me halfway across the village than say yes.” He smiled and stuck his tongue out at Sasuke. Sasuke glared and flicked the older man on his hitai-ate. Shisui retorted, rubbing his forehead and complaining about Sasuke’s lack of respect for his elders. The whole council room sighed and dropped their heads, aware of Shisui’s taunting rivalry with Sasuke, and also knowing that Sakura would indeed punch Shisui halfway across the village than say yes.

* * *

Sasuke stared at his ceiling. The compound almost taunted him in its quiet as he struggled to get to sleep with how his thoughts raced. He turned his head to look at the red scroll standing ominously on his dresser, beckoning him to open it.

When the council meeting concluded, Sasuke walked back to his home, not avoiding his mother, but definitely thankful that his father had shushinned him and his mother away as soon as the meeting finished. If anyone asked, he had chosen to take a leisurely stroll around the clan’s compound; he was definitely not walking home in order to give his father enough time to calm his mother off her war path. During the entire walk, his left hand had fiddled with the scroll in his pocket, ever reminding him of its presence and need for action.

When he arrived home, relieved not to see his mother waiting at his dining table, he’d set the scroll on his bedroom dresser and gone about his nightly routine: washing up, eating, and meditating before bed. But whereas his nightly meditation sessions were usually peaceful enough to guide him into sleep, tonight his mind would not find its meditative state. His thoughts kept racing back to the scroll curious on what it contained, then scolding himself for letting it cloud his thoughts. He wasn’t planning on opening the scroll until it was much closer to when he needed to make a decision; as an elite shinobi, he wouldn’t need three months to decide on a woman to court, and many of the women in his clan he’d known his entire life anyway. Opening the scroll now would just bring unneeded headache. So why then had his mind decided to fixate on it?

Sitting up in frustration, Sasuke threw on a shirt and his jōnin pants and grabbed his weapons pouch. Once he had secured the pouch to his leg, he took one last look at the scroll and shushinned over to Sakura’s.

He landed quietly on the balcony and entered her room through the window, mirroring the way he’d visited her a month prior and many other times. He saw her sleeping form cuddled under the blanket and smirked lightly, feeling the pressure of the scroll and its impending consequences fade away. He took off his shirt, pants, and weapons pouch and climbed into her bed. Sakura shifted over to let him in but didn’t turn around to face him yet.

“How’d it go?” Sakura’s sleep-dazed voice floated through her otherwise quiet apartment.

“The usual,” He grunted, settling on his back with his arms behind his head. Sakura turned over to face him. As he looked up at the ceiling, she studied his profile: the aristocratic line of his nose, his high cheek bones and full lips, his biceps, toned from hours of training. She listened to their breathing, his slightly faster, and waited for when he was ready to talk. She had almost fallen back asleep when he finally spoke.

“I’ll be married by next year’s Winter Festival,” He spoke slowly, warm baritone filling the space between them.

“The Winter Festival, good times,” She gave a him a small smile made languid by her drowsiness.

“Hn. Maybe for you. I seem to remember my ass cheeks frozen in the snow,” He huffed.

“If I remember correctly your ass cheeks were frozen because you were getting a hell of a blow job.” Sakura’s smile widened as he blew air out of his nose, a clear sign that he was laughing. The promise of them fooling around had been the only reason he’d ever said yes to going to the festivals when they were teenagers. They’d sneak out to the training fields while the rest of the village was enjoying the festivities then be back by the time the fireworks went off or the lanterns were lit; no one even knew they were gone, and if anyone noticed their clothes were a little wrinkled or Sakura’s hair wasn’t as perfect as Ino had styled it, no one said anything. Silence settled between them as they both thought of their next words.

“And the list? Who’s on it?” Sakura yawned through her question. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. Sakura waited for a moment before realizing—“You didn’t open the scroll?”

“They gave me three months to make a decision. I’ll deal with it when it’s time,” he replied nonchalantly.

“Three months?!” Sakura whispered harshly. In three months he was supposed to figure out the woman he’d spend the rest of his life with?!

“Three months isn’t a lot of time, Sasuke! How could they think you’ll find someone to truly love in only three months?” The drowsiness had almost completely slipped away as she felt anger towards his clan rising in her gut.

“Don’t be annoying, Sakura. You know this isn’t about love.” He looked at her fiery green eyes in the starlit darkness and narrowed his own. Sakura wasn’t oblivious to how his clan worked, and being friends with Hinata, she wasn’t oblivious to how the clans with the most prestige and strongest kekkei genkai operated to preserve the clan and family prowess.

“If it isn’t about love, Sasuke, then it’s at least about you not being miserable for your entire life. You deserve to be happy, and I don’t think _three months_ is anywhere near enough time to decide who you’re going to be with for your _entire_ life. There’s no way your brother and father agreed to this,” she whispered in disbelief. How could he just accept this? She didn’t get why he was so willing to throw away his happiness for his clan. Even Itachi had taken a stand against the council when it came to his love for Izumi! Sakura could feel hot tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Her tears began to slip in thin lines down her cheeks.

“My brother and father designed the list. Besides, whoever is on there is family, Sakura. It’s not like it’s some random woman I don’t know or a diplomat’s daughter from another village. And if I don’t choose a woman and get her pregnant, Itachi and Izumi will defect from the clan rather than have their marriage annulled for childlessness. Itachi has loved Izumi since they were children; do you think I’m going to squander their happiness for my own?” When she gave no response, Sasuke sighed and turned towards her. He gently brushed her tears away and wiped his fingers on her comforter.

“Sakura, you know I can’t do that,” he whispered softly. She picked up on his underlying plea for her to drop the subject for the night. There was so much more that she wanted to say, but she could tell that she’d only be smashing her head against the Hokage Mountain to get it to move if she tried to push the conversation tonight. She nodded and Sasuke turned on to his back once more.

“If you’re so determined to do it this way, then Naruto and I are vetting the hell out of her!” Sakura proclaimed. Sasuke ‘hned” and smiled at the ceiling.

“I’m serious, Sasuke Uchiha! We’re going to make sure there is at least a shred of happiness in your life, and she better be able to provide it. You got that?” Sakura pouted and waited a full minute before he finally agreed to let her and Naruto vet his prospective choices whenever he got around to opening the scroll. Sakura yawned and snuggled further into the blankets until only her eyes and head could be seen.

“Do you have an early shift tomorrow?”

“Yeah, first thing in the morning,” Sakura yawned again, feeling the pull of sleep dragging her body back. She held out her hand in between them, and Sasuke took it, a holdover gesture from when they were on missions and it was too dark to see each other.

“I’ll be gone before sunrise,”

“No don’t worry about it. Just sleep,” Sakura squeezed his hand and promptly fell back asleep. Sasuke looked over at her sleeping form cocooned back in her swath of blankets and shook his head. He looked up at her ceiling and felt his eyelids finally weigh down with exhaustion. He fell into a comforting sleep, swayed along by the rhythmic sounds of her deep breathing and the chirping of the crickets outside her window.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Month 1_ **

* * *

Sakura quickly walked into the café, nearly barreling into the poor greeter at the door. She apologized with a deep bow then rushed past the front stand to her favorite booth near the back of the teashop. Once she reached her destination, she sat with a curse as Ino tapped her watch with her perfectly sculped brow risen in faux annoyance.

“I know, I know, Pig. I was so close, but an appointment ran over,” Sakura grabbed the glass of water waiting for her and squeezed a lemon into it, careful to avoid any seeds falling in.

“Sounds reasonable, but I do love torturing you with your fear of turning into Kakashi-sensei,” Ino wagged her brows at her best friend. Sakura was always the punctual one, and any disturbance to that timeliness sent her into a tailspin of anxiety. Ino had no clue how she’d managed to put up with Kakashi-sensei’s perpetual lateness for years, but somehow the rosette hadn’t combusted yet.

“Thanks, Pig. What a great friend to use my worst nightmare against me,” Sakura feigned a glare and opened the menu as if dismissing her friend. But they both knew Sakura was just using it as a distraction; she always ordered the same thing.

“We both know that’s not your worst nightmare,” Ino said smugly, sipping her own water slowly through her straw. She waited for Sakura to look up from her charade and received the genuine scowl she’d been aiming for.

“You are ruining my one day to leave early, Pig.” Sakura set aside her menu and patiently waited for their server.

“Oh, I’m just ruffling your prim feathers, Forehead. Someone has to every once in a while. You’re too used to getting your own way,” Ino’s crystal blue eyes danced with mirth at her best friend’s continued scowl. Ino was glad to see her friend taking a breather, even if it was just the time set aside for their midday meeting.

“I would say the council is doing a great job of ruffling my feathers now, Ino-pig,” Sakura grumbled as she set aside her menu. Ino raised her brow in confusion and was about to respond when their waitress showed up to take their orders. As always, Sakura ordered an almond tea cake with icing and jasmine tea, and Ino ordered the chai with a splash of milk and a half serving of sweetened rice cake. Once they were back to their relative privacy, Ino prompted Sakura to continue.

“They are blocking me at every turn with the children’s hospital. It’s impossible for me to read every single scroll in the archive to look for the mere mention of ill mental effects on children. And they know that!” Sakura thrusted a hand into her hair in frustration. None of the scrolls she’d borrowed from the archives had anything close to what she was looking for. She was back to square one.

“They’re sending me on a wild goose chase, Ino, and I can’t figure out why. They can’t actually hate children…can they?”

“I mean they’re so old, I’m not sure they remember what _children_ are,” Ino grasped Sakura’s hand in comfort. “I’m convinced they just see little walking kunai and shuriken, maybe a bandage every once in a while when the other villages start to become more antagonizing.”

Sakura chuckled despite herself at the image of little kunai swinging on the swings and shuriken running through the marketplace. She had no doubt that that was exactly how Konoha’s council saw them, well not exactly. They wouldn’t see the fun of being children; they would see the sharpening of metal to kill. The waitress came out with their order, momentarily silencing their conversation again as they said their ‘thank you’s’ and the customary prayer to start eating.

“Ino, would your clan happen to have anything on the toll of mental stress on a shinobi? Even if it isn’t about children, I can easily show a link between what isn’t handled at the onset being a festering wound. Something is better than nothing.” Sakura squeezed her friend’s hand with her plea. The Yamanaka clan were the experts on all things having to deal with the mind; Ino was her best resource.

“We might have something, Sakura,” Ino started but shook her head harshly when she saw her friend getting too excited. “But honestly, it’s more likely to be framed as a negative interrogation strategy: a warning to not damage a target beyond mental repair so that they stay useful, or a warning for us not to go too deep and lose our own psyche in the process. I’m not sure there will be anything about how to use our techniques to help process trauma.”

Sakura felt some pressure rise from her chest; she had a potential starting point at least. She took a sip of her tea to wash her cake down. “That might be enough, Ino. It might be the only thing I’ve got that’s more concrete. Would your clan be willing to share it with me?”

Ino swirled her tea in her cup with a slight frown. Clan secrets were hard won, and they couldn’t risk just anyone seeing their sacred knowledge. She wasn’t at all sure she wanted the Konoha council to have any more information on the Yamanaka’s gifts than they already did with many of them being a part of the Intelligence and Torture and Interrogation units respectively. Luckily for Ino, it wasn’t her decision to make, yet. But, her frown deepened, one day requests like this would be.

“I’ll ask my father. That’s the best I can do.” Ino tipped her lips in a small closed-mouth smile. “I can’t promise anything, Sakura. You may be my best friend, but I have to protect my clan.”

“I get it. Thank you, Ino; that’s all I can ask of you.” Sakura nodded gratefully. If the Yamanaka could give her anything, that could make a world of difference for the children of Konoha. Ino shrugged her shoulders as if to say, ‘Don’t mention it,’ and took the last bite of her rice cake. Her stomach gurgled for more, but she fought back the urge to order another slice; she was on a diet and she had to stick to it, no matter how deliciously enticing another slice sounded.

“If that doesn’t work, I could always ask members of my clan if they’d be willing to testify to the council. Many of them have served in the T&I division, and they know the damaging effects of mental health when it comes to extraction,” Ino suggested then looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. She whispered: “There have even been those who were pushed too far and had to leave the unit after what they’d seen and done. They might be a better reference than anything the scrolls could provide. But you didn’t hear that from me.”

Sakura nodded her understanding at Ino’s silent warning: the underneath the underneath. A Yamanaka prided themselves on their ability to extract information; it was their family’s sacred technique, so to become too overwhelmed with torturing a mind to the point of breaking was a great shame to the shinobi and the clan. Once a Yamanaka joined the T&I unit, they were expected to stay in it until they retired or died, whichever came first. To quit was to permanently retire as a ninja. Sakura was thankful every day that Ino had chosen the Intelligence route, something that would keep her from the dark underbelly classified as protecting one’s village.

The conversation shifted a little as the girls finished their desserts and got an extra serving of tea. Ino suggested that Sakura talk to Shikaku Nara, head of Konoha’s Intelligence and Strategy division, to see if the Nara clan had any information in their vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and techniques. Sakura was already planning on talking to Shikaku, but she welcomed the suggestion as a confirmation that she was on the right path.

The conversation shifted again to the festivals and holidays coming up in a few months, their wardrobes, Hinata’s upcoming wedding, and the need for a girls’ day before Hinata’s big day. Sakura enjoyed the opportunity to just talk with her best friend. With growing up and their work schedules as increasingly in demand kunoichi, it could be weeks before they laid eyes on each other, much less have time to actually have a conversation again. Sakura vowed to change that; their lives would only get busier as they got older, and she didn’t want to lose their close friendship.

As an hour trickled by, Sakura disappointedly felt that she should get going to the Nara district; she didn’t want to get to Shikaku too late or stay until a rude hour. She hadn’t had interaction with the older man in quite a while, but she still wanted to make the best impression she could. Before Sakura could initiate a goodbye, Ino held her hand up.

“There is something I wanted to talk to you about, Forehead.” Ino set her teacup down and pushed it to the side. Sakura’s eyebrow rose at Ino’s suddenly serious demeanor and she mimicked her friend’s action.

“What’s up?” Honestly, Sakura was raking her brain for something that could have caused the switch in behavior. She didn’t keep her pulse on the rumor mill of Konoha, but if Ino had had something juicy, she would have no doubt shared it within seconds of her sitting down.

“My clan’s been talking.” Ino’s voice was difficult to place. It was sharper than usual, but her words trailed off to a softer end. Ino looked down at her nails as if avoiding her next words, but then looked up directly into Sakura’s jade eyes with determination.

“You’re going to have to give me a little more to go on, Pig. Talking about what?” Sakura prompted. Really, what could her clan be talking about that Ino thought she would have any information on?

“It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Itachi still doesn’t have an heir. They’re curious to see how long the Uchiha clan will wait.” Ino gave her a pointed look, and Sakura’s eyes narrowed with recognition. She frowned and tipped her chin down. Sakura looked away, worrying her lip with her teeth. How much of the Uchiha clan’s actions, of Sasuke’s life, could she share? Should she share? It wouldn’t be long before Sasuke broke things off with Kanami, so would telling Ino about the list be so bad? Then again, Ino had a tendency to blab about things that weren’t a security threat; telling Ino could be the equivalent of shouting it from the rooftops.

Sakura looked back up into Ino’s patient stare and decided to test the waters. “Why is your clan interested in the actions of the Uchiha?”

Ino shrugged, trying to give an air of nonchalance, but Sakura could tell it was clearly forced. “Call it projection. My clan isn’t exactly pleased that I’m not married yet; I’m practically a spinster. They’re interested to see how the Uchiha clan is handling Sasuke.”

Sakura gave Ino a sympathetic look. As the heir to her clan, Ino was fully aware of her eventual duty, but unlike the Uchiha clan, the Yamanaka were not as strict with who married in or out of the clan. Ino had been waiting for Shikamaru to propose to her for what seemed like years. Yet like every other decision, much to Ino’s perpetual annoyance, the lazy bum was taking his sweet time. They were both seeing other people for physical release in the meantime, as most shinobi who weren’t engaged did. Ino and a jōnin a year ahead of them had almost standing appointments, and Shikamaru and Temari hooked up whenever she was in the village or he had a mission to Suna. Knowing the younger Nara’s avoidance of anything that was “a drag,” it was more likely he would propose after he and Ino already had their Ino- and Shika- for the trio. That obviously wouldn’t fly if Ino’s clan was thinking about giving her a deadline too.

Sakura looked into her best friend’s eyes and saw something rarely found in the beautiful cornflower orbs: fear. Ino was afraid that whatever the Uchiha clan was deciding with Sasuke could be her fate too if Shikamaru didn’t get a move on it. Of course, they both knew that Ino could propose herself, but she was afraid that Shikamaru would say yes only because it would be too troublesome to say no. With all the drama behind clan marriages, Sakura was thankful she could remain blissfully on the outside as moral support. She checked her gut feeling and it wasn’t screaming at her to keep her mouth shut, so Sakura grabbed Ino’s hand and told her the truth.

“His clan gave him the list,” Sakura sighed, knowing that she didn’t need to elaborate any further. Ino’s lip trembled but she pulled her hand back and tossed her hair, sending waves of blonde silk dancing in the afternoon sunlight. Ino examined her perfect manicure in an attempt to control her feelings. Sakura let her sink into that well-practiced persona.

“Let me guess, there was absolutely no declaration of love for Miss Priss, and he’s going to go through with courting whoever’s on the scroll?” Ino smirked cruelly, waiting for Sakura to confirm it. Sakura nodded.

“I’m not surprised. I read her as all wrong for him the moment I met her, not a wonder that Sasuke saw the same thing. But breaking up with civilian girls can be a hassle,” Ino continued on, then stopped suddenly, letting her expression fall and the chink in her armor show again. “What’s annoying is that I don’t know if Shikamaru is thinking the same way with me, or if he’s just waiting on Temari.”

“Shikamaru and Sasuke are two totally different men, Ino. You know that. Sasuke’s following the list for his clan and for his brother. Shikamaru’s probably taking so long to propose because he’s too lazy to go ring shopping. Who’s to say the threat of losing you won’t be enough to light a little fire under his ass?”

“Yeah, you’re right, Forehead. I'm a catch,” Ino said with a watery smile. She dabbed at her eyes primly to keep tears from ruining her makeup.

“We could always kidnap him, force him to the altar. It’d make a great romantic ballad that the poets will sing for ages,” Sakura gave her friend a mischievous look to cheer her up; she hated to see the usually confident and go-getter woman disheartened.

“That’d be too troublesome,” Ino gave a mock impression of Shikamaru’s deep voice, not too concerned with perfect mimicry. Both girls laughed. Obviously, those would be the exact words he would use when the blindfold was pulled off his eyes and he realized that he’d been kidnapped for his own wedding.

The kunoichi talked a few minutes longer before paying their tabs and heading out the door. They promised to meet up again with Hinata and Tenten and then headed on their way: Ino to the Intelligence headquarters, Sakura to the Nara district. She hoped that Shikaku would be there and not in some meeting or another. She really wasn’t looking forward to traversing the entire village on the rest of her time off.

As Sakura walked to the Nara compound, she attempted to organize her thoughts into a proper pitch for access to the Nara records, but thoughts of Ino kept drifting in, distracting her from her mission. She desperately wanted to do something to help her best friend, who had had her sights set on Shikamaru for quite a while. And it was obvious that Shikamaru loved Ino; he would have to to put up with the sheer amount of time it took Ino to get ready for anything. For all Shikamaru would complain about, for some reason Ino had escaped the “troublesome” label. Surely, Shikamaru had to be aware of Ino’s feelings for him. But he hadn’t exactly broken things off with Temari, so Ino wouldn’t break things off with her fling until Shikamaru did with his; it would just be too embarrassing for her if he chose someone else.

‘ _Even Naruto had dropped his arrangement when he eventually became aware of Hinata’s love; how could Shikamaru not know that Ino wanted to spend the rest of her life with him? Maybe I could talk to him? But if I do, then Ino won’t have the comfort of knowing that he proposed because he wanted to.’_ Sakura’s thoughts came to an end when she saw that she was approaching the Nara main house. Even though she had been to the Nara district before, it always struck her at how quickly she could arrive there from the center of the village. And even more surprising was that the main house was the first one anyone came to: just out in the open for friend or foe. The layout of the Nara clan’s housing was so different from the Uchiha compound, so much more open and connected to the village than what the Second Hokage had relocated the Uchiha to.

As she drew closer to the main house, the deer grazing happily outside looked up cautiously, their tails turning up, as they evaluated her presence. If they sensed she carried ill intentions, they would bolt towards the sacred forest, alerting the clan to danger. Their eyes widened as she approached but they walked closer to her, recognizing her from the time she had spent as a chunin logging medical herbs and renegotiating bargaining terms for the hospital’s supply.

“I’m sorry; I forgot to bring sugar cubes or a salt lick,” She gave them a small bow as an apology. The deer flicked their tails in offense at her nerve to show up without a gift and went back down to grazing, ignoring her presence completely. Sakura laughed and strolled up to the main house to knock. The door slid open and Shikaku stepped out to the porch with a shogi board. He held his hand out for her to take a seat at the table that was always ready for a game in beautiful weather. Sakura smiled and took a seat, waiting for him to set up their game. When she visited as a chunin, Shikaku had taught her how to play the game of wits.

_“Shogi is a game of strategy,” he had told her, “but not of strategy to win. Strategy of your opponent and their will to win. You will always learn the truth of your opponent: what their intentions are, what they are willing to sacrifice, who they are to their very being. A game of shogi will tell you what words will not.”_

Sakura had taken his lesson to heart and had used shogi to learn much about him, Shikamaru, and Yoshino. Yoshino was impatient, barely waiting for her opponent to make their move before she had moved her pieces again on the board. Sakura knew that Yoshino must have been fierce in battle as an active kunoichi, but her impatience had its predictable downside; she made mistakes. It was easy to bait her into a trap by taking so long that she lost her temper and made a move, not pausing to examine the trap that she would fall into a few short moves later. Shikamaru was calculating; he forced Sakura to always be thinking 20 moves ahead, to look at every possible outcome no matter how small. His ability to see so many different paths helped her look at problems from multiple angles and form a solution where she may have only looked from one angle and gotten stuck. Shikaku, however, was a blend of both his wife and his son. Of course he was calculating, but he was also decisive. He evaluated the best course of action and moved with conviction, not afraid of his choice but also not afraid to recalculate with new information. Playing shogi with the Nara main family had taught Sakura much of the skills necessary for handling the political underbelly of running a hospital. It was only fitting that she come back for another lesson.

Once the board was ready, he let her make the first move. Sakura moved her _fu_ into place, initiating their game, but not the true war she was waging. They remained quiet for most of the first game, capturing each other’s pieces and reintegrating them back into their own forces, both studying their opponent through the board. Shikaku claimed the first game without much difficulty, then reset for their next. He made no comment on her obviously rusty skills and lack of focus. Sakura took deep breaths to quiet her mind and body and fixated on the board.

“The deer said you were troubled,” He spoke calmly, leisurely moving his _keima_ forward.

“Un,” Sakura grunted, reevaluating why he would make such a move when none of her _fu_ were particularly close to his side. “I’ve been reading scrolls.” She moved a _fu_ on the other side of the board to clear some way for her _kyosha_ to move forward on her next turn.

“For the children’s hospital I presume?” Shikaku moved his _fu_ forward, planning to cut off the path for her _kyosha_ and lining it with his _keima_.

“I’ve run into a dead end, Shikaku-sama.” She growled in frustration and moved her _fu_ to claim his. She placed the ivory piece on her side, waiting for when it would be a good time to deploy the little soldier as her own. “I’ve searched almost every scroll on medicine, and there are only a few medicinal remedies for quieting the mind, but nothing that specifically links it to trauma. Either nothing has been documented, or they’ve hidden everything so well the archive managers can’t even find anything.”

Shikaku examined the board carefully. He could move his _kaku_ diagonally to capture one of her _fu_ but that would leave him directly open to an attack from her _keima_ , which would be foolish. He looked at the arrangement of all of her pieces, wondering where her strategy would take him this time. She usually leaned heavily on feigns and getting her opponent to underestimate her, springing the trap when they were fully lulled into expecting her to make another move and so discarded the move she had just made.

“Perhaps you’d be better off collecting sources now, rather than looking through the archives.” He picked up his _fu_ and sacrificed it to her _keima_ instead.

“Well I was going to ask if I could see the Nara archives again. You think that’s a bad idea?” She twirled his captured _fu_ in her fingers, surprising him with a counter from her _kaku_ that captured his _fu_ and _kaku_. He surely hadn’t expected her to move so aggressively so early, but he nodded his head at her tried and true method.

“You’ve pulled some new tricks now that your brain remembers your skill,” He gave her a smile that left her preening. That is until he moved his _kyosha_ to capture her _kaku_. “Aggression is admirable, but as you know with my wife, it can typically come back to haunt you. Feigning is not always a bad strategy, Sakura.”

Sakura nodded then. Looking at the board, she saw a place where his captured _kaku_ could come in handy and moved it back into play. They were silent for a bit, focused intently on their game. Each took into account the other’s positions, how many pieces they had in reserve, and how each of those pieces could be deployed against their original side. Sakura’s mind lit up with a strategy, but she kept her brow furrowed as if she was still trying to figure out how to win. “If I feigned, if I told the council I was going to gather data and present it to Suna…how well do you think that would work?”

Shikaku stroked his goatee, thinking deeply about her proposition. Suna was a friendly village since the 5th Kazekage, Gaara, had taken over, but Konoha was always wary about other villages implementing new techniques for their shinobi. One couldn’t fight an effective war if they didn’t know what supplies their allies had, and it was always better to have a plan for betrayal than to be blindsided in faith. Going to Suna could work, and he told her so, but gave a caveat.

“If you make that threat, you have to be ready to follow through or else you’ll lose all negotiating power. Are you sure that you could abandon Konoha’s youth for some amount of time if Suna did in fact want you to set up your hospital?”

“I have to be; I want children to grow up healthy, and if I can reach more than just Konoha’s children, than that’s even better, Shikaku-sama. Besides, if Suna is actually willing to listen about the needs of their children, that might be a wakeup call to Konoha’s own arrogance,” Sakura bit out, taking another of his pieces but sacrificing one to set her trap.

“Then it seems you know your plan,” he moved his _kin_ to take her last _gin_ and smiled, seeing the opening towards her _gyoku_. On his next move he would be able to take down her king and win the game.

“It seems I do,” Sakura smiled, moving his captured _hisha_ into play and moving diagonally to the square directly in front of his _gyoku_. Shikaku studied the board intently, wondering how he had not realized her plan to move all of their pieces in an opposite diagonal path. He sighed with his head down then smiled at her, conceding defeat. Sakura smiled back with confidence; this may have only been her first win, but it was one she desperately needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who reads, leaves Kudos/favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.
> 
> Story Recommendation: Rosemary for Remembrance by Sintari (NejixHinata)


	7. Chapter 7

Izumi jumped and sucked her finger again for what seemed like the millionth time to stop the bleeding. Mikoto gave her a sympathetic smile, although her eyes danced with mirth. She handed her daughter-in-law a scrap of alcohol-soaked fabric to clean her finger again. The poor scrap had dots of blood everywhere from each of Izumi’s unfortunate battles with their day’s mission. For a such a competent kunoichi, Izumi was quite terrible at needle work.

Izumi looked over her needling to make sure she hadn’t gotten any blood on the starch white fabric that made up the bottom of the uchiwa and sighed in relief when the garment remained as unblemished as when they’d bought it from an older aunt’s store. She’d have cried if she needed to start over again! She’d already ruined one uchiwa with her clumsiness, and while she struggled to complete a few, Mikoto had already filled half of her basket with the meticulously sewn emblems that would be embroidered to Sasuke’s wife’s clothing. Thankfully, Mikoto had taken charge of the task of sewing all of the uchiwas for special occasions since her needle work was impeccable, but Izumi still wanted the uchiwas she sewed to look somewhat presentable.

Despite the stress sewing brought her, it was actually a calming activity for Izumi to sit with her mother-in-law in the sunroom. Mikoto was a patient teacher as she gave instructions on how to tighten this stitch or reinforce that thread line. It was customary for the groom’s mother and immediate female family to sew new uchiwas for the bride as a welcoming gift. It symbolized the creation of new family bonds through marriage, but also the strengthening of their initial family bonds as a clan. Any blemish on an uchiwa made by the groom’s family was seen as a bad marriage omen: a loose stitch meant the marriage would unravel, dirt or blood meant pain and tragedy, a crooked stitch meant fighting and disagreements, any uneven balance of the fabric meant childlessness, as the two chakras would not come together into one being. Izumi would be lying if she said that as she and Itachi struggled to conceive, she hadn’t checked over every single uchiwa Mikoto had presented her with during her engagement party. But with the same scrutiny she now paid those for Sasuke’s wife, Mikoto had sewn every uchiwa immaculately. Izumi hadn’t found a single error, and now Mikoto was making sure that she didn’t transfer negative wishes onto Sasuke’s marriage with any error in technique. If anything was less than perfect, Izumi had delicately cut the thread and started over, careful to thread her needle through every single hole save the incorrect one as she went.

Looking down at her work now, Izumi felt an odd sense of pride to see that she was making fewer and fewer mistakes that needed to be repaired.

“I’m telling you, Itachi. The little runt has a good pot going already! Tell him to never get married,” Shisui entered the sunroom laughing boisterously. He held a long scroll and had a brush tucked behind his ear. Itachi followed after his cousin, his presence like a calm wind after Shisui entered like a gale storm. Seeing the pair together always made Izumi’s heart fill with happiness; they were quite the unlikely pair, one quiet and reserved like a moonlit night, the other exuberant and inviting like a bright spring day, but it was clear for anyone to see that the cousins loved each other very much. Itachi and Shisui had been inseparable since the day they’d met. Behind the duo entered Fugaku with a handful of scrolls himself.

“What? Are people betting on Sasuke’s marriage already?” Mikoto asked her nephew eagerly. She’d been waiting for gossip on who was on Sasuke’s marriage list since her youngest had received the scroll, but she hadn’t heard anything from him; Sasuke had been busy with ANBU missions…and avoiding her so he wouldn’t have to face her wrath over his apparent relationship with Sakura.

“Yup! Top three bids are on Kiyoko, Reina, and Aita. But Yayuna is mounting a strong challenge, Oba-san. You in?” Shisui wagged his brow. Nearly the entire clan had some money on this cousin or another. All the fervor wasn’t for actual money but more pent up energy since no one had gotten to bet on Itachi’s marriage list. The Uchiha clan was reserved with outsiders, a holdover from the long years of war and persecution, but within the clan, they enjoyed a good game. Their enjoyment of gambling was in part a reason they’d found a sense of even footing with the 5th. On a purely business matter, she’d been informed of Sasuke’s scroll to initiate clan heir protocol: he would be assigned less long term and far away missions until his engagement period ended. On a personal matter, she had placed her bet early.

Fugaku set his scrolls down on the glossy wood table and began to organize his workspace. Shisui took the brush from his ear and dipped it into the ink well, waiting for his aunt’s bet.

Mikoto gasped and took out her wallet. “Place a bet on Reina. 10,000 ryo!” She looked over to her daughter-in-law whose hands gripped her embroidery hoop a little too tightly. “Izumi you should place one too!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mikoto-san. I’d feel a little bad if I won, betting on Sasuke’s future and all,” Izumi smiled shyly. Itachi met his wife’s eyes and could easily tell that her true smile was absent from the usually glistening orbs.

“Of course it’s a good idea! Shisui put down 5,000 for Izumi,” Mikoto handed the coins over to her. Shisui began to write down her choice when his uncle held up his hand.

“You are not placing a bet on the marriage,” Fugaku gave a pointed glance to his wife and then turned to view the police records from the last month. Mikoto narrowed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks.

“Well if I knew who was on the list, I wouldn’t have to make bets. Imagine, a mother not knowing who was deemed appropriate for her own son! I only just pushed him out of my womb after 18 hours of labor… a labor in which my husband was recovering from fainting… a labor which my five-year-old handled better than said fainting husband…” Mikoto sighed dramatically, clutching the uchiwa she was working on to her chest. Fugaku didn’t spare her one glance, used to her waiving his fainting as a trump card after so long of marriage. It wasn’t his fault he’d been weary from a mission and meetings and hadn’t had time to mentally prepare for watching his wife give birth…again.

“Scratch her bet, Shisui.”

“Fugaku!”

“You’ll be seen as having inside information, Mikoto,” He warned as if it was the most obvious response. Inwardly, he was laughing at his wife’s antics, but he couldn’t let her know that.

Shisui scratched out the bet and returned her money, while Mikoto glared at her husband furiously and went back to sewing, stabbing her needle through the silk with added ferocity. The conversation turned to the cooling weather, the new ninneko kittens whose paw prints were added to the Paw Encyclopedia, the upcoming due date of one of their pregnant cousins. Before long, Mikoto left the sunroom to begin preparing dinner, tasking Izumi to organize the best sewn uchiwas to be used on the wedding kimono and festival kimono and yukata, and the others to be used on everyday clothing. Fugaku waited until Mikoto was out of ear shot before addressing his nephew.

“200,000 ryo on the woman he marries,” he slid the coins quietly across the table.

“Isn’t that cheating if you don’t actually pick a name, Oji-san?” Shisui grinned and added his uncle’s name to the betting pool scroll.

“Is it cheating, or just showing why I am the Head of the Clan?” Fugaku crossed his arms and nodded smugly… “Don’t tell my wife,” He added hurriedly, breaking some of the illusion as a tough clan head. Izumi bit back a chuckle.

“Secret’s safe with me, Oji-san,” Shisui’s grin widened even further. Itachi slowly blinked in his characteristic show of exasperation and shook his head. Uchiha Mikoto found out everything, from every attempt of Sasuke’s to have a snacking tomato before dinner to Itachi forgetting to study for an Academy test the night before, which he still passed with a perfect score, he would add. Surely his father knew the futility by now of trying to hide something from Uchiha Mikoto.

* * *

Sakura sat in her office analyzing pediatric patient files for warning signs of mental health issues. She organized the files into 3 groups based on the documented severity of each of their cases then color-coded the files for quick reference later. She could barely look at the stack of red files: children and teens who had been placed on suicide watch or had mental break downs after an extremely brutal mission resulting in the death of their teammate or sensei. If she really took in the growing stack of those files, she’d break down and cry, and crying wasn’t going to help them. She’d let herself cry after she knew they were safe.

The yellow and orange files were obviously easier, and yet brought little comfort. The orange files were characterized by youth who had had some counseling and were recovering from their trauma by establishing healthier coping mechanisms. The hospital still kept tabs on them, but the services for them were lessened to make room for more immediate concerns. The yellow files were the lowest risk patients at the moment; Sakura refused to label those files blueish-green as if there was still nothing to worry about. These files contained patients who were starting to exhibit signs of mental health illnesses: reoccurring nightmares about their friends getting hurt, periods of tightened chests and heavy breathing, itchy and sweaty palms at the mentioning of certain activities or situations.

As she looked at each file, Sakura also made detailed notations of the way the children described their symptoms. Of course a young genin might not know the term anxiety, but they knew that their stomach cramped furiously and they felt nauseous even though they hadn’t eaten anything suspicious. They knew that their bodies began to shake so badly that they had to hide their hands from their teammates. They knew that they had trouble falling asleep because their brains were constantly running. The extremely young children knew that they played certain games similar to situations that frightened them. If she could document some of the common ways the children described their feelings, all of the nurses could make notes when doing initial evaluations before doctors walked into the appointment rooms. Until the children’s hospital could be built, hopefully this new resource would allow the current hospital to catch more patients at yellow levels before they escalated to orange or red.

Once she had the files labeled, she created 3 separate scrolls, one for each pile, to log each child’s name, shinobi registration ID number, and a quick blurb about their symptoms to help reference their file again. At the next hospital staff meeting, Sakura would distribute her compilation of symptom descriptions and would have nurses start adding the names of children who showed such symptoms to the scrolls. They’d all start to build a database for Sakura to pull for case studies.

Satisfied with her work enough to leave it at that stage, she began to draw up a draft of a guardian consent form to study the children. She knew it was risky telling a guardian that she wanted to study their children’s mental health, most would assume that she was trying to remove their children from active shinobi duty, so she had to make sure the consent form was worded perfectly and that she created the perfect elevator pitch to put their minds at ease. She’d have Shizune look over the form to identify any unclear or misleading language that the children’s guardians might struggle with; out of embarrassment, they’d never ask the meaning of a term or phrase they didn’t understand. And it was imperative that they felt comfortable or the younger children themselves would never feel comfortable, thinking they would be in trouble if they told Sakura or any of the other doctors and nurses how they really felt. That reminded Sakura that she probably needed to stock up on lollipops and stickers: a simple, but effective trick. Even the older shinobi raided her stash of the sweet treats after their physicals.

Lastly, she needed to draft a mission scroll to send to Lady Tsunade for the children’s case studies. Even if she did have to take her research to Suna, she at least wanted the guardians to think their village cared and were a part of the information gathering process if not the actual building and administration process. Sakura laid out a fresh scroll and dipped her brush in the ink pot, watching with some pleasure as the stiff hairs of the brush waved through the dark ink. She wiped off the excess liquid and set about her task, careful to use her best penmanship.

The sun had moved to its late afternoon position, signaling the end of her 14-hour shift, but Sakura was too engrained in her task to notice the shifting sun. A tapping at the window shook Sakura out of her writing and she looked up to see a brown and white hawk sitting patiently on the window seal. Sakura placed her brush in the pot and walked over to the window, searching her hands for any ink that might stain the white wood and stone. Satisfied that her hands were clean, Sakura lifted the window and the bird flew in and perched itself on her coat hook. The hawk held it’s left foot up for her to take the tiny scroll attached.

Sakura brushed her fingers over the hawk’s head as a greeting and carefully untied its message. She unraveled the scroll and pressed a tiny amount of her chakra to release the sealing jutsu and a mint green box pop out. Sakura squeaked and dropped the scroll to go for the box. The hawk squawked at her awkward attempt to catch the package before it hit the floor, earning a stuck-out tongue at its clear show of amusement. Balancing the box in one hand, Sakura reached down and grabbed the scroll to dispose of it. She walked over to her desk and set the box down before carefully opening it in case its contents had shifted around in its brief freefall. The mint green box opened to reveal its delicious prize: umeboshi dango with extra sweet plum sauce. Sakura’s eyes lit up as she recognized the packaging and distinct shape of the dessert from her favorite dango stand. Taped to the top of the box was a note written in Sasuke’s utilitarian handwriting.

_‘Go home,’_ his note read, and Sakura laughed at his bribery. He knew she wouldn’t be able to keep working past her shift if the sweet treat was waiting for her to indulge; she’d learned long ago that sticky, syrupy goodness and paperwork were a terrible combination. Sasuke’s hawk cooed on its perch, drawing her attention to what she guessed was her last order of business for the day. She smiled and retrieved a thick leather bracelet and a meat snack decorated with sunflower seeds from her desk drawer. She placed the bracelet on her arm and held the meat snack out for the predator to swoop in for. The hawk gleefully snapped up the treat, shaking its feathers in a sign of appreciation.

Sakura smiled and brushed her fingers over the bird’s head, back, and belly. “We won’t tell, Sasuke, will we, pretty bird?”

The bird cawed in response and preened at her attention, puffing out its illustrious feathers for more of her gentle touch. The bird would gladly keep the secret. All the hawks in Sasuke’s arsenal preferred flying to Sakura; she always gave them snacks.

“Tell him I will,” Sakura placed a kiss to the bird’s head as she walked the bird back to the window. She held her arm out and the raptor took off towards its master.

* * *

On the ANBU training ground, Sasuke heard the cawing of his hawk through his meditative state. He stood from the lotus position and tilted his neck to the side, giving the bird plenty of room to land on his shoulder. The bird dove low and sunk its sharp talons into the reinforced shoulder of its master’s shirt, picking up its talons to settle into a more comfortable position. The hawk brushed its head against Sasuke’s cheek to relay Sakura’s affection and then cawed again and settled down, happy with a job well done… until Sasuke poked its stomach with annoyance.

“You landed heavy. If she doesn’t stop feeding you snacks, I’m putting you all through extra training rounds.” Sasuke walked towards the Uchiha compound. The hawk cawed and flapped its wings in offense.

* * *

Sakura stepping through her apartment door and tossed her keys into the ceramic bowl on her end table. She toed off her sandals for comfy slippers and cracked her neck as she made her way towards the bathroom to run a relaxing bath. Just as she was about to unzip her top, a pack of dogs came barreling into her living room, bulldozing her over for kisses and pets.

“Oh good, you’re here.” Kakashi came out of her bedroom as if this was a completely normal occurrence, which bless her life, it semi was. He watched her flailing her arms for help but turned his attention back to the newest installment of Icha Icha.

“Okay, okay. Everybody down,” Sakura called to the eager swarm of ninken trampling her intestines with glee. The boys barked loudly but finally allowed her some space to breathe. Sakura pushed herself off the floor, glaring at her completely unhelpful sensei and went to the cupboard to grab treats for the pack. Once each pup was gnawing satisfactorily on a bone, Sakura turned expectantly to her sensei, tapping her toe in impatience.

“What do you want, Kakashi-sensei?” She crossed her arms as he leisurely turned the next page.

“Can’t an old man just want to visit his favorite student?” Kakashi covered his mouth and giggled slightly at the action on the page. Shaking her head, Sakura walked into the kitchen to start fixing tea.

“You must be getting senile in your old age, sensei; Sasuke isn’t here,” Sakura tossed back over her shoulder.

“Mou Sakura-chan, so mean.” Kakashi pulled out a chair and slouched down into it, feeling a creak in his back. He really was getting too old for this. Sakura set the container of sugar on the table, knowing that he’d never risk his image by asking for it himself but would also never drink tea without a generous spoonful. Sakura set both cups of tea on the table then waited for the water to cool a bit so she wouldn’t burn the tea leaves. When the water cooled enough, she poured two cups and passed one over to him. Kakashi sprinkled a teaspoon of sugar into the green liquid, nearly salivating in anticipation.

“Let me guess; you have a physical due.”

“Yup.”

“And are avoiding the hospital and Tsunade-shishou.”

“Bright as ever,” Kakashi took a sip of the hot tea, almost burning his mouth. Sakura rolled her eyes but grabbed the extra physical forms she kept in a drawer for this exact scenario. Kakashi was notoriously wily when it came to hospitals, and Tsunade-shishou had long run out of patience with his constant escapee routine. Sakura had been formally cleared to perform his physical in her house if it would prevent the Hokage from having to track him down.

“Ridiculous. One day the great Copy-Nin Kakashi will be felled by the common cold, and I will not stop lamenting how you would have survived if only you had gone to the hospital. I’ll make sure your story is told to every Academy student.”

“I’m sure you’ll put a heroic spin to it and campaign for a monument in my honor,” Kakashi’s eyes crinkled into a smile, happy to have gotten his way.

“Hardly,” Sakura scoffed, rolling her eyes, then pulled her chair in front of him to start his physical. Her house was filled with his breathing, her soft instructions, the gnawing of bone in the living room, and her pen scratching to ink out her uncharacteristically neat penmanship onto the form: a strange mix of sounds but comforting nevertheless. Sakura signed the form and ripped off the top copy to hand to him; he would need to keep it for his records. The bottom copy she placed in her work bag to log into the hospital computer on her shift tomorrow. Kakashi thanked her but didn’t make his usual speedy getaway after anything medical.

He grew quite serious, studying her face for a moment. “How are things going with the children’s hospital?”

“Better, I think. I feel like I’m making some headway. Though, I may have to threaten to take my research to Suna. I mean, I wouldn’t think it would be so hard to see the need for a children’s hospital in Konoha, but apparently it’s a great difficulty to do so.” Sakura took a sip of her tea but longed for something a bit stronger; she really should start hiding sake in her house like Tsunade-shishou advised. Her day had been good overall, she had a new direction for her research and new organizing methods, but she was also tired of having so little to show after months of researching and observation.

“Why not build it on your own with private funds?”

Sakura shook her head. “You know that wouldn’t work, Kakashi-sensei. If it’s a private hospital, patients would need to pay for care, and I couldn’t do that to the families; they’d never be able to afford it. So many see it as a luxury already that they could never justify it as a necessity. I know they couldn’t set aside money for the visits.” Sakura worried her lip. She couldn’t blame the hard-working families; so many of them were doing the best they could to provide the basics physical needs of their children. And since mental health issues could take a while to be a manifested problem, many wanted the adult hospital to deal with it when shinobi were no longer able to do their job.

But that thinking was flawed, ridiculous even! Why fix a dam after the water was escaping in droves when it could have so easily been patched when the issue was only a small crack? And Konoha’s medics didn’t have the resources to help all of the shinobi in the way they needed. Even with Tsunade-shishou’s mandate of every genin being tested for medical affinity, it took time to build skilled, competent medics, and the council barely spared money for what little mental health training the certified medics received now. But Sakura couldn’t let all of this deter her. The children were counting on her; the future was counting on her. She couldn’t give up just because things had gotten a little frustratingly difficult. She had a path now thanks to Ino and Shikaku; she just had to walk it.

“Seems the only way is to go around the council then,” Kakashi took a sly sip of his tea and narrowed his visible eye in a conspiratory glance.

She shook her head good-naturedly: “Something tells me that is illegal, Kakashi-sensei. I’ll be court marshalled.” She attempted to take a sip of her tea but chortled so hard she nearly spilled the liquid all down her shirt. What would be the punishment for going behind the council’s backs to do good? She could almost see Naruto and Ino clamoring through the gates of the T&I unit to bust her out. Maybe Sasuke would let her hide out in one of the newly renovated homes in the comnpound until the hospital was well on its way. Kakashi would even bring her his beloved Icha Icha series to keep her company. _‘Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad,’_ she chuckled inwardly, then mentally shook her head at her silliness.

Kakashi shrugged and went to rinse his teacup out in the sink. “You’ve been thinking like a doctor, Sakura, looking through the archives for data collection and science, but you can collect anything you would find there yourself. Maybe you have to approach the problem with the council as a negotiating political leader. Suna’s a start, but if they don’t take that bait and Suna doesn’t agree with your assessment, you’re back to the beginning in Konoha. As unsavory as it might sound, you may need to bypass the council entirely…legally, of course.”

Sakura looked up from her cup to eye her sensei skeptically. But the more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense. “Legally bypass the council?” Sakura thought long and hard until… “The clans! The clans have retained political autonomy in negotiations with Konoha since its inception. If I look through the agreements between the clans and the village, maybe I can go through the clans and won’t even need the council’s approval at all. Thanks Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura kissed his cheek and fled into the living room to grab her bag, avoiding tripping over the dogs with a ballerina’s grace. Sakura grabbed a number of storage scrolls and her keys.

“Glad I could help,” Kakashi smiled at her hurried rush. The dogs looked up from their bones, confused at her sudden flurry of activity.

“You’re still not off the hook! And lock up when you leave out the window!” Sakura shouted as she dashed down the stairs and out towards the Hokage tower. Kakashi shook his head at the eagerness of the youth then grabbed his book and whistled for the dogs to disappear back to their homes. Once he’d made sure Sakura’s front door was secured, he shuffled out the window, satisfied to have shucked yet another year of those God-forsaken hospital physicals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.
> 
> Story Recommendation: “The Valley of the End” by SouthSideStory and companion piece, “Outside of Love”


	8. Chapter 8

“Hmm, looking through the clan archives; you think you’ll find something there?” Tsunade looked over Sakura’s hastily scribbled request for access. She folded her hands and looked up at her protégé who was nearly bouncing on her heels with energy and excitement. She’d been counseling Sakura for months now on how to deal with Konoha’s stubborn donkeys, and while she wanted to kick the council door in so hard they died shitting themselves, ultimately, this was Sakura’s project—her way to make her name in the world; she had to lead this charge herself. Sakura would also need this valuable experience for when she took over as the Head of Medicine when either Itachi or Naruto were named the Rokudaime.

“I think it’s a better shot than what I’ve had access to before,” Sakura said semi-confidently, almost choking on the words. It was a monumental request to ask to see the negotiating contracts between the clans and Konoha and the contracts between clans. If any clan found out she was requesting this, they could mount quite a complaint since she had no clan affiliation of her own. Such documents were really only reserved for the clan heads, elders, or high-ranking officials in Konoha’s government; Sakura was none of those categories.

Tsunade studied her for a minute, then nodded her head and took out a blank scroll. “How long are you planning to stay in there, Sakura?” Tsunade scribbled out her access to the classified area of the archives.

Sakura gave an awkward laugh and twirled a piece of her hair. “Eh my shift isn’t until tomorrow night, Shishou. I can afford to pull an all-nighter.”

Tsunade shook her head and pulled out a bottle of her sake from her secret stash. Just the thought of pulling all-nighters at her age made her need a drink. “Just make sure you get some sleep. I’ll send an ANBU member to relieve the archive operator when it’s late. Just because you plan to work all night doesn’t mean that poor soul has to.”

Tsunade held out the freshly signed scroll which Sakura took gratefully. She bowed and was about to walk out the door when her shishou called out. “Oh and Sakura,”

“Hmm, Shishou?” She turned back to her mentor.

“When you figure this out, I have another special bottle of hot sake waiting for us to enjoy,” Tsunade shook the bottle gleefully, unconcerned with the few drops that spilled onto her desk.

“Wherever that bottle is hidden Shishou, it hasn’t been waiting for that moment,” Sakura deadpanned. It was well speculated that Tsunade had a bottle of sake hidden in every floorboard in the Hokage tower.

“Yes, but Shizune wont’t get on my case for celebrating outsmarting the council, so sake on me,” She poured a generous helping into her cup and downed it in one gulp.

Sakura laughed and rolled her eyes at her mentor’s clear enjoyment. She walked down the stairs and over to the archives to begin another long night of researching. Hopefully, this night wouldn’t turn out like the others.

As Sakura made her exit, Tsunade downed her cup of sake in one gulp, then made a two-finger hand sign to summon her ANBU guard. Hebi stood silently, fist resting on his popped-out hip. Tsunade took her time pouring another shot of sake for dramatic effect; she wanted to draw out the curiosity factor some. Hebi waited silently, but impatience and irritation rolled from his body like waves cresting on the sand; he hadn’t gotten to stretch his legs in a truly challenging assignment in weeks, and his body was itching with the pent-up energy. He had little time nor patience for the Hokage’s flair for the dramatics.

A long moment of silence continued between them until Tsunade had finally had enough of waiting for him to address her. “Fine,” she narrowed her amber eyes at his lack of participation. “I should be offended that you’re so bored guarding your Hokage… but I’ll let it slide since you have valuable information.”

Hebi stayed in his position, but years of working with him assured her that a single, perfectly-sculpted brow was raised behind the eerie porcelain mask. The silence dragged on.

“You’re no fun.” Tsunade tossed Sakura’s scroll to the ANBU operative, who caught it effortlessly, scanned the content, and tossed it back to her. “That will give you something to do since you don’t seem to want to give me any insider information on the betting pool. I’m telling you, if anyone knows before me, I’m busting your ass down to supervising a genin team.”

“Then who would cast the genjutsu keeping Shizune from finding your stash illegal Lightening Country sake?” The taunting smirk was clear in his seemingly monotoned voice.

“Damn brat.” Tsunade mumbled and waved her hand to dismiss him.

Hebi shushinned out of the Hokage tower and towards the Konoha archives.

* * *

Chineo, the archive operator on duty, glanced up at the scroll Sakura produced and gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Another day in the archives, Sakura-san?”

“Another one,” She nodded with a bit of embarrassment. “But I think I might be on the right track this time.”

He nodded and stamped her scroll then pulled out a small burgundy book. Sakura bit her thumb easily and held it out to press her blood onto the seal granting her entrance to the confidential archives. Once Chineo was satisfied with her print, he closed the book and pointed her on her way.

Sakura walked around the corner to the hidden passageway of the clan records annex. To anyone else, it looked like just another daunting shelf of books and scrolls, but the entrance way was guarded with seals that would shock anyone who was not in the burgundy book trying to enter the area. She walked through the seals, still half expecting to be shocked, and then to the nearest table. She set her bag down on the table and pulled out a storage scroll, a blank scroll for note taking, and a brush and inkwell.

Once satisfied with her workspace, Sakura walked through the clan archives searching for the first scrolls of agreements between the Senju and the Uchiha, which started the village of Konoha and the entire Hidden village system. Grabbing a few from Hashirama and Madara’s negotiations and some from Hashirama’s reign as Hokage, she then walked over to the current scrolls from Tsunade’s tenure and grabbed a few of them. She organized them by time period then alphabetical subject matter and got to work reading the oldest scroll from the Senju-Uchiha ceasefire.

Her plan was to first work through the clan agreements with Konoha since those were obviously the most pertinent to the council; she also hoped it would be a little easier since there were less Hokages than clan heads and obviously fewer negotiation combinations. The clans of Fire country had been negotiating for decades, even centuries. Each clan head could have countless agreements with other clans; a copy of all of those agreements were stored in the archives for litigation purposes if one clan felt they had been wronged or another clan had failed to uphold their end of the bargain.

Sakura also figured that it would be smarter to burn the candle at both ends rather than going chronologically through each Hokage’s tenure, especially because not every clan joined Konoha at the same time; one reason the Four Noble Clans were referred to as such was because of how early each had joined Konoha. Perhaps it was childish, but her strategy would also allow her to put off reading the policies from Tobirama’s tenure that came so close to the massacre of an entire clan.

Sakura read through scroll after scroll, making notations of material that could be helpful on the blank one she’d brought; she created her own key of sorts to remember which scrolls to go back to in the archive. Predictably, she didn’t find much in Tsunade’s tenure that was new; being the Hokage’s apprentice meant that Sakura already had access to so much of the information. She knew that looking at Tsunade’s scrolls wouldn’t give her much, if anything at all, but she couldn’t afford to leave any stone unturned.

Despite the minor waste of looking at Tsunade’s scrolls, Hashirama’s negotiation with Madara was bearing the most fruit so far. According to their initial stipulations, the clans would retain full autonomy in matters deemed solely in the interest of the clan in order to prevent Konoha’s council from installing puppet clan heads or making decisions on matters that would affect the clan’s ability to care for their own. Sakura could imagine that that was a non-negotiable for both clans, and was probably the reason why many of the other clans had felt secure enough to join the village in the first place; no clan would have ever allowed Konoha the ability to make decisions on their kekkei genkai and on how they preserved their family techniques. Sakura had copied down that information word for word and heavily documented the scroll’s original location.

She took the scrolls back to their respective storage locations then grabbed a few scrolls from Tobirama’s tenure and from the Hyūga’s negotiations with Konoha. The Hyūga were by far the most stringent clan, allowing in no one from outside of the clan. The only reason Hinata hadn’t been sealed after accepting her engagement to Naruto was because they didn’t want to stroke Naruto’s wrath, especially if he was to become the 6th Hokage. Hinata had still been forced to give up her position as clan heir to Hanabi, but Hinata hadn’t minded much; it had been very clear since childhood who the stronger sister, and thus the clan heir, was. Hinata had said that there were whispers of the Branch family having mixed emotions about her not being sealed, but no one was so reckless to air their complaints aloud.

_Hyūga/Konoha Negotiation Scroll 2.2A- Stipulations on Marriage_

_The Hyūga retain the rights to control the marriage of any member for the protection of the Byakugan, hence forth referred to as “the eyes”. The Main House will refer to the Head of the Clan and his first born. All other members of the clan will be referred to as the Branch House and will be sealed with the Caged Bird curse seal for the protection of the eyes._

  1. _The Main House will approve of every marriage in the clan and will have first selection of a Branch House member to bear the next heir. The Branch House member selected will be required to undergo weekly fertility treatments for expedited conception._
  2. _Already sealed, a Branch House member may marry outside of the clan only at the approval of the Head of the Clan. The entire family will be required to reside in the segregated quarters for non-Hyūga at the southern edge of the Hyūga compound. The outsider married by the Branch member will not be considered a part of the clan and will have no such protections provided by the clan._
  3. _Any offspring produced by a Branch member and an outsider will become the property of the Hyūga clan and will be sealed as a Branch member 3 days after birth. Any offspring too weak to receive the seal 3 days after birth will be eliminated to prevent deterioration within the clan._



_Failure to comply will result in the immediate removal and destruction of the eyes; further consequences will include banishment, sterilization, and death at the sole discretion of the Main House._

Sakura hands shook in rage as she read scroll after scroll of negotiations, particularly about the Branch family’s duty to serve and protect the Main house above their duty to protect Konoha. Politically, she understood how Konoha would have had to agree to the Hyūga’s demands or risk them joining another village in Fire Country, but she just couldn’t believe that Hinata and Neji had grown up like this. Sakura took notes from some of the Hyūga scrolls, but her stomach couldn’t take digesting much more than surface level information. She couldn’t let herself think of the legal consequences for Hinata and Naruto’s relationship or Neji and Tenten’s. How a clan, a family, could treat its own members as expendable, she couldn’t understand.

As she set the Hyūga scrolls aside, Sakura glanced to the ominous pile of scrolls to her right. If she couldn’t even handle the Hyūga scrolls, how could she stomach looking at the next set on her list? She dreaded the thought of looking through Tobirama’s orders, but she forced herself to unravel them.

“Sakura-san, I’m heading out.”

“Shit!” Sakura’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest! She’d been so focused on reading the scrolls that she hadn’t noticed the waning hours or Chineo walking up behind her. Some kunoichi she was right now.

“Un, thank you Chineo-san,” Sakura tried to catch her breath as if she hadn’t just been scared to death. Chineo’s eyebrow rose, but the pinkette waved him off.

“I’m fine, really,” Sakura tried her best to sound reassuring. From the look Chineo gave her, she had failed miserably.

“Ok…” Chineo continued to look at her skeptically, then made his way towards the exit of the secure archives. “ANBU-san will be here to watch the archives.”

“Right. Have a great night, Chineo-san!” She gave him a wave then turned back to her scrolls. Before digging back into her research, she flared her chakra, trying to feel the ANBU operative. But of course she couldn’t feel them; they were ANBU for a reason. ANBU hid their chakra even during hospital physicals to ensure that no one knew who they were. All anyone knew of them was the animal on their mask. In the worst case, Sakura felt their chakra when she operated on them and had to coax their chakra into gentle submission to stop fighting hers off.

Hebi stood in the shadows, feeling Sakura’s chakra wash over him. His own chakra moved beneath his skin, feeling the brief presence of a foreign energy, then settling down when it recognized hers. He had had her chakra in his body enough to recognize her warm signature nearly immediately.

Having recovered from her brief distraction, Sakura turned back to the 2nd Hokage’s scrolls. Twenty of them. Stacked so innocently on the table. She took a deep breath, popped open the first one, and got to work.

The language was sickeningly similar to the way the Hyūga referred to their Branch family. Tobirama’s hatred for the Uchiha clan ran deep, clear, unmissable. There was no way his views hadn’t slipped into those of his students who now sat on Konoha’s council and controlled ANBU…and had been Hokage. Sakura didn’t want to think that the Third might not have been so innocent in the deteriorated relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha clan. Could her own Shishou on some level share her great uncle’s disdain?

No! Sakura shook her head. Tsunade was nothing like the 2nd. She had worked incredibly hard to limit the council’s power and to extract the Root operatives out of ANBU, weakening Danzo’s influence in the organization. She’d even threatened to bring down charges of war crimes for Danzo’s suggestion of annihilating the clan. Tsunade was doing her best to keep the old guard on a leash and usher in a new generation of leadership, free from the prejudice of the Warring Clans period. The 2nd’s influence would end with this last council.

* * *

The time passed by quickly and slowly at the same time. Her back, neck, and eyes were groaning in protest at the hours she’d spent unflinchingly reading the scrolls from the 2nd Hokage, then the 4th. She had finally gotten to the 3rd Hokage’s scrolls, but she doubted she’d find much more than what she’d found in the 1st and 2nd Hokage’s scrolls: clan autonomy and the true size of the Uchiha compound upon relocation, including areas of the surrounding forest that hadn’t been developed yet but were still within Konoha’s boundary line. When looking at locations for the hospital, Sakura would keep that in mind. But location didn’t matter if she couldn’t get the funding to build anything.

“There’s got to be something!” Sakura grumbled. She looked over to her bag and thought about popping another soldier pill for the energy. It had to be nearly 4 in the morning. She shook her head, deciding against the artificial boostl; she didn’t want to mess up her sleep cycle for when she was finally finished for the night. Sakura grabbed the next scroll and opened it, lazily grazing her eyes over the text, more scanning than actually reading. Until her eyes came to a certain line.

Immediately, Sakura perked up. She reread the scroll furiously, making sure that she hadn’t misread the 3rd Hokage’s neat handwriting. She reread the scroll again, and again a third time until her brain finally registered the words. This was it! This was what she needed!

Sakura screamed in glee, causing the ANBU operative, whom she had completely forgotten about, to appear in front of her, tantō unsheathed and ready for battle. Sakura’s eyes widened as she looked at the porcelain snake mask.

“Sorry Hebi-san! Everything’s fine, I just…I found it.” Sakura’s eyes glimmered with excitement and a hint of exhaustion. Her hair was a bit frazzled from countless hours of pushing her hand through it and tugging on strands in frustration. The ANBU operative looked around the room, making sure there was no danger then disappeared back to his hiding spot.

Sakura turned back to the Third’s scroll and furiously copied down the notes in her own scroll, filling line after line with her transcription. Her previous exhaustion vanished completely as her primary strategy revealed itself. With what she found, she wouldn’t need to take her research to Suna; all she would need was one meeting and her dream for the hospital would be a reality.

An hour went by before she completely finished mapping out her strategy. The table was littered with paper: mock hospital blue prints, a location scouting checklist, estimated construction budgets, estimated operation budgets, multiple drafts of her official proposal for the Hokage and the council, multiple drafts of her elevator pitch, but most importantly, her notes scroll detailing all the information she needed from the Third’s scroll, combined with what she’d found earlier in the Senju-Uchiha contract for Konoha, and the 2nd’s scroll on the Uchiha compound area. She would need to cross-reference the land holdings for the best possible location, but that didn’t need to be done today. Today, she could rest with a sense of victory and satisfaction.

Sakura looked at the absolute carnage left by her fierce research and could feel no disdain from her neat-freak personality; all this carnage was success. All this carnage was for Konoha’s future. Of course she would clean it up, but at this moment she reveled in her victory.

“Cha! Suck it, you old windbags!” She punched her fist in the air, then began to neatly roll the paper up. She put back all of the Hokage scrolls into their rightful place then sealed all of her scrolls into one storage scroll and tucked it into her bag. She sealed her inkwell into a different scroll, terrified that it would spill on her notes, then wiped the table down to make sure she didn’t leave any ink residue for someone else to have to deal with. As she looked over the room, satisfied that it was a spotless as she’d found it, Sakura bit her lip; her energy was still buzzing with exhilaration. There was no possible way that she could just go home and sleep. She needed to burn off this 2nd wind, and she knew just how she wanted to do that. Sakura walked out of the sealed room and towards the door of the archives, but stopped before exiting. She didn’t know exactly where the ANBU operative was, but she knew he wouldn’t leave until she was out of the building.

“Hopefully you can _go_ _home_ now, Hebi-san. Good night,” Sakura called out, slightly guilty that she’d kept the operative up so late; he still had to report to the Hokage after all, and even that wouldn’t be the end of his night… well, day.

* * *

Sasuke slipped into his room before the sun rose over the village, relieved that most of the compound was still asleep. Even more importantly, he thanked the gods that he’d chosen a house with the window to his bedroom on the opposite side from his parents’ home; that simple forethought of architecture gave him as much privacy as he could have in a family compound with his coming and going at all hours of the day and night.

He stripped the weighty ANBU vest off his chest and laid it neatly in its drawer, followed by his snake mask, bracers, and arm guards. He toed off his socks and then sat on his bed to remove his shin guards and pants. He tossed the armor and clothing near their respective homes and shrugged when the guards didn’t quite make it into the drawer and his pants landed near enough to his laundry hamper to count as in. _‘Close enough,’_ He thought as he pulled his shirt off and dropped it on top of his pants.

Sasuke rolled his stiff shoulders and stretched, feeling a satisfying ‘pop’ from his stiff joints as he made his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and a quick snack before he crashed for the night…morning… overnight duty always threw him off for the rest of the day. He stepped through the doorway and was greeted with a sight that saw his tiredness evaporate and his blood rush to his cock so fast he was nearly dizzy from the loss of oxygen.

Leaning over the kitchen island as if it was the most comfortable chaise was Sakura, reading some scroll that he’d left on his kitchen table before he reported to his shift of guarding (babysitting) the Hokage. Sakura rested on her elbows with her back curved in a smooth line, the rosy tips of her nipples brushing the countertop with each breath she took. Her position accentuated the long line of her legs, supple, toned, flawless; each curve of muscle led his gaze to the next until he laid eyes on her unclothed snatch. Those plump lips tantalized him in their fullness. Pink nether hair, trimmed into an enticing triangle, curled playfully towards her clit, begging him to enter her already dripping cavern. Her ass cheeks rounded into curved hips and the stripe of her spine tempted him to connect every freckle and mole with the trace his tongue. He could practically hear the moan that would tumble from her ruddy mouth. The soft lighting of his kitchen was a pale imitation of sunlight shining over her creamy skin and glistening through her thick hair.

Feeling his eyes on her, she turned and her lips formed a bright, devastating smile. Sakura set the scroll aside and fondled one of her breasts, twirling the peaked nipple nimbly between her fingers. She watched his eyes take in her motions and felt heady with power. She nearly moaned at the sharp slice of pleasure from her sensitive body.

The mischief twinkling in her beryl orbs was a siren’s call. Sakura was beautiful.

His palms itched and his mouth ran dry. His chest tightened in anticipation and his cock stood at attention, ready for her command. He didn’t need the Sharingan to remember this, her completely naked and bent over his kitchen island, waiting for him; he’d never forget it. Sasuke smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was husky with a blazing hunger, but not for food. Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine at the way he looked at her: like a predator ready to devour his prey. That was exactly how she wanted him.

Her smile transformed to a full grin that would have put the Cheshire cat to shame. Sasuke watched her pink tongue skate across the bottom of her teeth as her eyes took in his form—leisurely, patient, as if she had all the time in the world to get what she wanted.

“I found a way to get the hospital built,” Her voice was breathy to his ears, and Sasuke shouldn’t have been so turned on by her talking about funding for a children’s hospital, but here he was…cock thickening at the octave of her words. He gazed at her; she read his desire clearly.

“So what,” he shrugged feigning nonchalance. “You craving victory sex already?”

“Mmhmm,” Sakura winked, and smiled at his quick burst of laughter. “And if I remember correctly” she wagged her ass temptingly, drawing his eyes back to her fully exposed body, “I was promised great sex against the counter; I’m cashing that promise in as my prize.”

“Hn.” _‘Gladly.’_ Sasuke stalked towards her and Sakura felt her inner muscles clench in anticipation as she watched the dark and handsome man come closer. His thick cock thumped solidly against his thigh with each step. Sakura licked her lips; the muscle left a sticky trail of precum from his thigh to the tip, breaking, only for a new string to take its place with his next step. She rubbed her thighs together to ease the throbbing ache between her legs. Sakura turned to face the kitchen wall, readying herself for him to satisfy her craving.

Her eyes fluttered shut when Sasuke ran his strong hand up her hamstring and grabbed a solid grip of her ass. He pulled one cheek up, forcing Sakura to raise up on her toes. Feeling her cunt spread for him, she moaned and arched her back further. He grabbed her hips and pulled her back against his full length, bringing her head to his shoulder and her ass firm against his pelvis. He wrapped his hand around her stomach, hot fingers splayed over her mound in a small attempt at protecting her from hitting the counter, then surged inside her.

“Uhhhhn,” she moaned loudly. Her legs quivered and she braced herself against the counter with her hands. It was perfect. He slid further, meeting little resistance thanks to the built-up slick from her playing with herself while she waited for him to come into the kitchen. He picked up her right hand and sucked the middle digit into his mouth to taste the sweet tang of her essence, then let her brace the counter again.

Pulling back, he groaned at the tight clench and wet slide of her delectable cunt, then fucked into her relentlessly. His hips slapped firmly against her jiggling ass, filling his kitchen with the erotic sounds of their breathless moans and already sweating skin bouncing against each other. Sakura pushed back against him, thrusting her pussy gladly back to force him further into her. His cock surged through her. She could feel him in her stomach, could feel his granite hard muscles solidly against her legs, could feel his bruising grip on her hips. And she loved every moment of it.

“Yes, Sasuke, yes!” she called out hoarsely. She nearly forgot that it was past 5 in the morning and others in the compound could be waking up. All her mind could focus on was the man behind her, giving her body everything it needed. Sasuke thrusted his hand into her hair and wrenched her head back, careful even in his aggression to keep her on the right side of pain. His actions forced her back to bow, exposing the creamy column of her throat to his scorching lips and her breasts to his massive hands.

Just one of his hands completely covered her pert and jostling breasts with ease. Each scrape of her nipples against his callouses sent a unique tingle to the roots of her scalp. He squeezed her tight for leverage, then bent his knees and fucked up into her moist heat. His lips devoured her throat, sucking and nipping rings that would leave a purple bruise later in the day if she left them without her healing chakra. Sakura bit her lip and she whimpered, eagerly taking his every thrust. His lips left her neck to bite the sensitive junction behind her ear, then his tongue soothed the area with probing licks. Then he whispered, moaning hotly in her ear.

“Sakura, uhn. So tight.”

“Sasukkeee—” she whined, unable to form sentences but desperate for him to do anything except stop. His balls slapped against her pulsing clit. Sakura could feel her cunt throbbing around him and took deep breaths to stave off her orgasm. Each moment she denied herself would only build to a more gloriously fulfilling ending.

“Sasuke!” She called out again. He grunted in response and raised her knee to lie flat on the counter, forcing her to lift onto her toes and tilt her hips up. Every strike of his thick cock nailed her G-spot perfectly and her arms shook from the force. Sasuke reached his hand around her bent knee and rubbed her clit in small, fast circles. His fingers slipped from her syrupy juice gathered there but it was enough to edge her. As soon as he felt her clit begin to throb and her muscles start to clench, he pulled back slowly, dragging his meat against her slick walls until only the tip remained enclosed in her gooey center. He pushed in dangerously slow until they were fully connected again and waited. Their chests moved in tandem with their harsh breathing. Sasuke traced his fingers up and down her taunt stomach and was pleased every time her pussy gave an involuntary twitch, begging for him to move again. Sakura leaned back against him and they both groaned as her tilted hips forced him completely to the root inside her. Sakura slipped a hand over his strong jawline and cheek bones and into the slick hair at the nape of his neck, massaging the tense muscles.

Sasuke looked down at her, jade eyes hazy and soft with lust, glistening beautifully as she looked up at him. His eyes shifted down to her wet, succulent lips, red from her teeth sinking into them. At once there were both a million breaths between them and no distance at all. The air around them was intoxicating and heavy with the scent of their sex. It would be so easy for him to bend down and capture her lips for the first time. But that was her boundary. He wouldn’t cross it. No matter how much his instincts screamed at him to learn the taste of her before he never had the chance again.

Sakura smiled devilishly at him and moaned loudly, squeezing his cock until he had to break eye contact with her and clasp her hips for support against the feeling. He leaned his forehead on her back, ignoring the way their sweat mingled and plastered his hair to his head. Sakura smirked and turned towards the kitchen wall and squeezed her inner muscles again.

“Alright,” Sasuke ground out and pulled back. He lifted his head and gave her one solid thrust, wrenching a long, drawn out whimper of his name from her ruby lips. “That what you want?”

“Sasuke,” Sakura wiggled her hips to get him to move. Her needy whine struck his heavy, aching sac just right. Sasuke slapped her ass in response, satisfied to watch her quiver around him for a moment more. Just as she was about to complain again for him to move, Sasuke smirked and slammed into her, giving her exactly what she wanted.

“Aaaughn!” Sakura screamed and Sasuke wrapped his hand around her mouth to prevent any of his family from hearing how good he fucked her with his thick steel. She moaned into his palm with each rough thrust that threatened to push her over the edge.

Gods their sex was so good, too good.

Sakura felt her toes tingle as Sasuke used her body to bring them both towards the glowing precipice. He folded his body over her, pressing all of his muscles, hard as stone, against her back. She loved the feel of every delicious inch of his entire body dwarfing her with its size. He wrapped his other arm around her and used his nimble fingers to circle her exposed clit again. Moan after filthy moan clawed its way out of her throat and into his hand, encouraging him to fuck her harder, faster, deeper, until she would collapse from the sheer pleasure of it.

Sakura opened her eyes and her gaze caught on the red and white uchiwa hanging over his kitchen window. She felt its weight watching them take and give pleasure in what would become his family home. She closed her eyes again, shutting out everything but the glorious feel of his thick cock spearing her open. Sasuke removed his hand from her mouth and pulled her leg off the counter, letting her bring it down to meet the other, tightening her cunt and adding sweet pressure to her clit. Every thrust seared her body with electricity. Her fingertips, the roots of her hair, the nerves of her spine: all of it both a livewire and a lightning rod.

Sakura could feel her body quivering again. She was so close. Wicked pleasure curled darkly in her womb, circling into a tight ball ready to unravel. Each thrust was pulling her closer, closer to that sweet edge until she tumbled over into the abyss.

“Sasuke—I’m- Aaaah!”

“Uhn, uhn. I know,” he grunted into her ear, hot breath tickling over the exposed shell. “Just a little more, Sakura.” His sac tightened with need, ready to spill his hot cum inside her. Her slippery inner muscles started to undulate in a pattern that told him she was right there. So close. So. fucking. close.

“Cum for me, Sakura,” He whispered in her ear, thrusting fully even as his molten seed spurted into her. He moved her hair to the side and marked her neck, suckling the shallow bite wound.

“Aaah, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura finally tumbled over the cliff with lightning setting fire to her veins. It was as if she could feel his Chidori cresting over her every muscle. Her toes curled and her pussy lips shivered in pure delight. Sasuke pulled out and dropped to his knees behind her, pressing his tongue into her shivering cunt to eat the mix of their juices out of her. He used one hand to rub her clit to prolong her orgasm, enticing her muscles to clench around his slick tongue. His other hand wrapped around her legs to hold her cunt steady to his mouth, even as she wiggled under the intensity of her orgasm and his feasting.

Sakura gripped the kitchen island so hard she thought the stone would crumble under her immense strength. Her body felt listless. All she could do was moan as he devoured her.

“Sasuke, too much,” she whimpered. Sasuke stood, trailing his nail over her oversensitive flesh as he pressed their bodies back together. Sasuke wrapped one hand around her waist to hold her to him. They moved together, breathing harshly but satisfied. Sakura loved the warmth exuding from him, coaxing her into a lethargic state. She barely registered her hair being moved away and his hot lips placing scorching, gentle, soothing kisses at her neck and shoulder. His firm body supported hers; she was nearly too exhausted to stand.

“How long were you going to wait here if I didn’t come to the kitchen?” Sasuke asked amused at the possible flaw in her plan. She felt his lips form a smirk against her skin as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

“Shh you’re ruining the moment with logic,” Giggling quietly at the thought of waiting up while he went to bed, Sakura shook against him and was rewarded with a twitch of his cock. He grabbed her hips to still her, his own body too tired for more.

Sasuke huffed, “You didn’t think that through.”

“Or I knew you’d come,” She tossed him a saucy look over her shoulder. “I probably would have just ridden you while you were asleep like some kind of succubus.”

“Hn." _'I'd like that.'_ He grunted with a smirk, kissed her cheek, and then unraveled their sticky bodies. He went over to the sink and poured a glass of water then brought it back to her. Sakura took the glass gratefully and took a hearty drink, almost spilling some down her throat. She handed the glass back to him and he finished it. “You staying?”

“Nah-uh, I do need to get _some_ sleep, not seduce you in the early morning…again.” Sakura slipped into her clothing and readied herself for her jaunt across the village. Sasuke nodded and walked her to the front door. Before walking out, she raised up and kissed his cheek, then made the familiar hand sign and shushinned out of the compound so no one would see her.

Sasuke watched the rising sun beginning to crest over the red, yellow, and orange treetops, then closed the door and retreated to his bedroom. As soon as his head hit the softness of the inviting futon, he was dead to the world. And if in his dreams his Sharingan conjured the image of an alluring succubus with glorious pink hair and haughty green eyes, that was no one’s business but his own.

* * *

Sakura appeared outside the Uchiha compound and immediately felt the chakra signature on her left. Leaning against one of the red shrine pillars was Shisui, with clothing as rumpled as her own. A sly grin spread over his tired features as he pushed off the pillar and walked towards her, stopping just a few feet from her. Shisui trailed his eyes down her disheveled figure, made a pointed look to the Uchiha compound, and then looked back to her with an impish glean in his warm eyes. Sakura crossed her arms and popped her hip, waiting for his smart remark.

“A little early to be out, don’t ya think, Sakura-chan?”

“I could say the same for you, Shisui-kun. It was almost as if you were…waiting for something,” her eyes narrowed but her voice stayed sickeningly sweet. They paused for a long moment, staring the other down. After a few moments, Shisui laughed and ruffled her hair.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.” He gave a conspirator’s smile, softening his boyish features to the welcoming man everyone knew him as.

“Sounds like a plan,” Sakura nodded with her own wide smile. They walked past each other towards their respective homes, with Sakura whispering out a fond “Tell Yukio-san I said hello!”

Shisui gave her a salute and checked his watch. It had been plenty of time for Yukio to sneak back into the compound; no one should put two and two together if he did come across someone. Shisui shook his head as he thought of the great lengths they had to go through to keep their escapades out of the nosy clan gossip mill. Family could be exhausting that way. But the more people were focused on Sasuke and Itachi, the less attention they paid to his own exploits. Out of concern that he was only seeing her for the thrill of secrecy, Yukio had refused his marriage proposals twice…and he still kept coming back to her. Maybe with this third time prompted by the council, she would finally see how serious he was about her.

* * *

Leaving behind Shisui, Sakura walked through the sleepy village awakening to the dawn sky. The early morning chill belayed the autumn season’s nearing to an end, and she wished she had brought a cloak or jacket. Sakura used a bit of her chakra to warm her body up as she walked. She looked at the shops she’d frequented, the areas she’d played as a child, and felt such an immense love for her home. Konoha wasn’t perfect, but in the dawn of the early morning, it was easiest to remember why they all pushed themselves so hard to make the village better.

When she arrived back at her home from long hours of research and a satisfying round of victory sex, that she would admit was probably premature, Sakura finally felt her energy dying down enough to sleep. She set her bag on the floor filled with the precious scrolls of her proposal and made her way into her bedroom.

She shifted out of her dirty clothes and placed them neatly in the hamper, then crawled into her inviting sheets, ready to sleep and put her plan in motion when she awoke. The council wouldn’t know what hit them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note at end: To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.


	9. Chapter 9

Searing pain emanated from her stomach and shot through her lower back up her spine. Izumi curled into a ball, holding her stomach and fighting back tears to no avail. She didn’t know if she was crying more from the pain, or what the pain represented.

Another bolt shot through her nervous system. Her stomach contracted in on itself as if every muscle was trying to squeeze into a tight bead, and biting her lip was all she could do to not scream out. She didn’t want to wake Itachi. She didn’t want to see his gentle face contorted in sympathy and pity. She didn’t want to see her failure reflected in his kind eyes. He would never say it, but she wondered if he regretted marrying her, if he wished he had gone with a choice from the clan elders.

Izumi pulled back the light blanket covering her and made her way to the bathroom as quietly as the pain would allow her to. Her footsteps fell heavy on the tatami mat, creating a thumping sound that any shinobi would be humiliated by.

_‘One more thing to be ashamed of_ ,’ Izumi thought broken-heartedly. She felt like a failure as a wife, as a woman, as an Uchiha, and now as a kunoichi too. She was the future matriarch of the clan; the clan needed her, and she couldn’t do this one thing, the only thing they really expected of her.

Izumi used the wall to help her reach the bathroom and settled hard on the toilet. Her stomach roiled from the motion, threatening to heave up everything she had eaten for dinner. She closed her eyes and thought desperately of the cool tile beneath her feet. She wanted to lay on the floor and waste away until the pain subsided, until she felt nothing. Izumi pulled down her underwear, knowing what she would find.

She opened her eyes and looked at her failure stained bright red on the cloth of her underwear. Really it taunted her, the red circle on the white cloth, almost like the Uchiha fan nestled into her panties, mocking her and her infertility. Bitterness was on her tongue and disappointment settled like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach, swirling like a beast lurking in wait. She stared at her menstruation wondering if even once the clotted tissue and blood seen every month had been a baby. Just once. Just once had they managed to conceive? Had her body rejected it? Had her body strangled the life from her before she’d ever known it existed? Or after nearly 10 years, had she failed even at that? Had her body ever once nurtured another soul?

Izumi looked at her hands, pale and shaking. She felt a woman so much more than her 29 years. Every bone ached from the sheer weight of her burden. Each year that passed derided her, mocked her, taunted her with the fear that she’d never conceive. That her cousins and aunts would continue to give words of encouragement to her face and whisper behind their hands when they turned from her. Many shinobi didn’t live past 30, and though she had largely cut back on missions in preparation for her and Itachi’s ascension, she was still pushing her luck thinking that she’d have any more time. The Uchiha council was clear: she only had 17 months left.

She stood on weak knees and grabbed a cloth from the rack over the toilet. She wet it with cool water from the faucet and wiped her center and the back of her thighs, ignoring the sickeningly sweet metallic tang filling up the room. She ran the cloth back under the stream to cleanse it of her transgression then rubbed herself again. She repeated the actions in the same twisted ritual she’d been doing for years: rinsing the cloth clean, wiping herself, rinsing the cloth clean again until it no longer came back brownish red and the water finally ran clear.

Once she was certain that she was clean, Izumi slipped on her emergency pair of underwear and the cotton pad that would keep her from ruining their bed. Her stomach was still uneasy and cramping, but she could make it back to bed now. She prayed to the gods that she hadn’t woken Itachi; he had enough to deal with with the increase of his clan head responsibilities.

Sliding open the shoji doors, Izumi saw that like every other prayer, the gods refused to answer this one too. Itachi stood at the edge of the bed, fitting a new sheet over the futon. A hot cup of tea steamed on the tray beside his side of the bed along with the herbs she took to help ease her menstrual cramps. Noticing as soon as the door slid open, Itachi set the pillows against the wall and walked over to her. His hands were a cool relief skating across her burning skin as he took her elbow to bear her weight.

Her legs shook with each step she took towards the bed, but Itachi, patient as always, guided her with little more than an encouraging hand placed against her lower back. He helped her settle into the bed then placed a heated bag of uncooked rice against her stomach and another against the small of her back. Izumi nearly moaned as the heat seeped through her skin, soothing the ache of her tired muscles. Itachi’s hand brushed gently against her forearm causing her to open her eyes. She gave him a weary smile and took the green tea and candied ginger. She placed the ginger on her tongue, content to let its flavor melt into her mouth rather than stress her weary body with the tasl of chewing, then she scowled down at the teacup like a toddler told to eat her vegetables. After so many years of difficult menstruations, she should be used to the awful taste, but she still much preferred jasmine to green.

Itachi smiled at his wife, both amused by her pouting and sympathetic to her pain. He left her for a moment to grab a wet washcloth and a basin of water from the bathroom and dabbed at the sweat on her brow. Izumi closed her eyes again, relishing in the simple relief her doting husband brought her.

“Thank you,” her voice shook with tears. Itachi pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and brushed the sweaty whisps of her long chestnut hair from her face. He placed the washcloth in the basin at the side of the bed and settled himself under the covers. He waited, allowing Izumi to hide under the guise of dutifully drinking her tea, but they both knew she was avoiding the same conversation they’d been having for so, so many years now. Once her cup was empty, Itachi gently wrapped his hands around hers and she surrendered the barrier to him. He placed the porcelain cup back on the tray and looked forward, waiting patiently for when she was ready to speak.

Izumi opened her mouth, but her lips trembled. The tears that were once washed away streamed down her cheeks, dotting the bedsheets with their persistence. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I—”

“Izumi. There is nothing wrong with you,” Itachi argued firmly. He placed his hand over hers in a comforting gesture then slid his arms around her. “The gods will decide when it is time.”

“We say that every month. What if the gods have decided, Itachi? What if they’ve decided that I am tainting the blood of the main family? What purpose do I have if not to bear the Uchiha heir?” Izumi cursed herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Without seeing him, she felt his arms tense around her thanks to her waspish tongue wanting to lash out at anything she could injure. She couldn’t meet his eyes, but she heard the hurt in his voice.

“Is that truly what you feel of us? Of our marriage and our love? Of yourself?” Itachi tried not to feel the sting of her words, knowing that she hadn’t meant them the way they sounded. He knew that she was unfairly looked at as the cause of their infertility and bore more than her share of the worry, but he couldn’t help the fear nagging at his mind that she was falling out of love with him. He couldn’t help but worry that she resented him and their marriage. There had never been another woman for him, and every month Itachi prayed more desperately than he would like to admit that he could give her what she desired. If she finally had the child she craved so much, he wouldn’t have to worry that one day she would look at him only with disgust.

“Itachi, of course not.” She turned and buried her face into his chest. “But I can’t help but wonder if we were selfish, marrying for love instead of doing what was best for the clan. What if this is our punishment?”

“Izumi,” He whispered gently, troubled by her line of reasoning. Were the gods really so cruel?

“What if the council is right to make Sasuke marry a better choice? Sasuke wouldn’t have been placed in this position if only I could—”

“The council was no doubt already preparing for Sasuke; our situation only gave them an excuse to press the issue sooner.”

“But if they are right, Itachi? What if—”

“No.” He bit out uncharacteristically sharp. Izumi looked up at him, eyes wide with shock; it was rare that he ever lost his temper, especially with her. But she could feel his grip tighten around her arm as his Sharingan swirled and blazed in the darkness. Itachi took a deep breath, trying to find the right words.

“I have been a dutiful son. I have been a dutiful shinobi…You are the only choice I have ever made for myself…” He placed his finger under her chin and stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. “I cannot believe that the gods would punish me for this, for this one act of selfishness. I cannot believe they would take you from me, Izumi. We will have a child when it is time, and if it is never time, you will still remain the love of my life; I will not surrender that.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks and pooled against his fingers. She sniffed against the liquid threatening to run down her nose and buried herself in her husband’s arms. Izumi clutched at the soft, worn fabric of his nightshirt, taking in his familiar scent and sturdy frame around her. She had always leeched comfort from his immovable resolve, and she needed his strength and stability more now than even when the Nine Tails had attacked the village on the night they met.

Their room was silent and still, the only sound coming from her sniffles and her tears dropping to the blanket. Crickets chirped outside in the moonlight and Itachi envied their calm, their peace, the simplicity of their lives to serenade the moon during the hush of late night. He took steady, smooth breaths while rubbing her back. His Sharingan swirled dangerously, and he could almost feel Amaterasu seeking to be unleashed with the torrent storm rippling beneath his skin. He could see no other option but the one he had mentioned a few years into their conception issues. He closed his eyes and practiced his breathing, focusing on only the flow of his breath in, filling his lungs, and out. When he finally opened his eyes, they were returned to their steady deep black.

“Izumi,” Itachi looked down to his distraught wife and thought his words over carefully. “Perhaps it is time we see Lady Tsunade.”

Izumi shook her head, still clutching on to his shirt with her blunt nails. “No, not Lady Tsunade. I can’t let the Hokage know of a struggle so important to our clan.” Damn her but her pride wouldn’t let her surrender to such a disgrace. If she was going to be infertile, the least she could do was keep the knowledge from their oldest rival clan. Even if the Senju, really only Lady Tsunade now, and the Uchiha had come to a tentative peace after the Nidaime’s passing, the generations of pain were still etched in her blood.

Itachi took a deep, shaking breath against the dimmed but not extinguished fire burning in his chest. He understood her reservations, but the tension between the Senju and Uchiha meant nothing to him if Lady Tsunade had any insight that could save his marriage from crumbling like a neglected shrine. He waited for a moment, making sure his voice was free from any trace of irritation or anger.

“Sakura then?” The question hung in the air between them for some time.

Izumi unburied her face from Itachi’s shirt and thought for a bit. Sakura was a neutral party in the political dealings of clans; there would be no suspicion if Izumi went to see her. If anything, she could use the excuse of going to look for Sasuke if any of her family was nosy enough to question her. Sakura was a great medic, almost better than Lady Tsunade now, and she could ask Lady Tsunade to confer without being able to legally mention that her patient was Izumi. Maybe Sakura was her last chance.

Slowly, Izumi nodded, and though imperceivable to his wife, Itachi released a deep breath. “Sakura. I don’t want to…but it feels too prideful to wait any longer. We’re running out of time. If I can’t conceive, the council expects that Sasuke’s bride conceives immediately…and if she does—I couldn’t bear that, Itachi.” Izumi’s voice broke with the weight of her tears and the residual pain from her menstruation, and all of it threatened to overwhelm her again.

Itachi nodded and shushed her gently, rubbing smooth circles on her back. He held her tightly as fresh tears slipped down her cheek again and she clenched the bedsheets. Eventually, Izumi nodded off, lured to sleep by her exhaustion, the warmth and security of his arms, and the soothing quiet of his breathing. Itachi looked down at his wife, sleeping with some peace, and wished his mind would follow her.

But his thoughts were filled with an insidious worry that, if he was honest with himself, had been building for years. Children had started out as an abstract thought in their marriage. They knew they would have them eventually, but they had both been focused on their careers as shinobi, and they were only 19; they had plenty of time. Then when they had talked about his retirement from ANBU to focus on his training as clan head, children had seemed like a more tangible reality; they had actually started planning for a child. Now, Itachi couldn’t remember the last time they had made love, not had sex, made love. He couldn’t remember the last time a kiss was just a kiss, the last time a caress could simply be that. He couldn’t remember the last time they were intimate solely for the desire of it, to connect to each other, without tracking her menstruation by the moon and on calendars and at council meetings.

He couldn’t remember the last time and he feared she would come to despise his touch.

He feared that his touch would symbolize everything he couldn’t give her. That one day she would look at him and her eyes would only hold bitterness and disgust. He feared that one day she would never accept his touch again.

Was it selfish that he could live his life without a child? Was it selfish that he no longer wanted them to try? A child that combined the best of them would be nice, but he could not sacrifice his wife for that goal. He would not sacrifice the peace he’d carved out for himself as a pacifist in the world of shinobi.

And yet, he had no plan of action. He had wanted to go to Lady Tsunade and Sakura towards the beginning of their trouble conceiving, but now, fear at the very idea churned sickeningly in his gut. If Sakura had no answers, if Lady Tsunade had none, those insidious thoughts whispered that he would lose his wife’s love forever.

* * *

Sasuke slipped his shoes off and set them on the mat in the waiting room. He slipped on the pair of socks always ready for him and walked silently on the tatami mats. Itachi stood in the kitchen listening to the babbling of the water heating in the pot; brewing tea was usually a peaceful experience, but he couldn’t find any solace in the activity, not when he had just barely closed his eyes to rest before his brother had knocked gently on his door.

Itachi added the tea leaves to the hot water and carried the pot on a tray out to the table. The younger Uchiha folded himself under the table and nodded his head in thanks. Itachi took his own seat and began to fill the teacups with the hot, swirling brew. The two men took their cups and held them up to each other, quietly speaking the traditional blessing, then took a long drink. The tea slipped down their throats and swirled in their stomachs, heating their souls pleasantly with the warmth rising through their bodies. They sat in relative silence, listening to each other’s breathing and the autumn wind blowing through the village. Both of their minds were filled with thoughts swirling like a whirlpool.

“Izumi’s out?” Sasuke broke the silence with his voice still rough from sleep. Itachi nodded to him, taking another sip of tea before answering.

“She went to see Sakura at the hospital.” Itachi had walked her to the door after staying up and holding her for the rest of the night. He’d trudged back to their bed and laid his head down for what seemed like only a minute before Sasuke had knocked on his door. Itachi had felt groggy and slow, two feelings that could spell the end of shinobi. Even though he was essentially retired, Itachi still kept his body in fighting form and his shinobi instincts sharp, so groggy and slow were not welcomed feelings.

“Is she alright?” Sasuke asked with light concern; Itachi didn’t seem worried, so Sasuke figured whatever it was couldn’t be life threatening or else his brother would have been at the hospital with her.

Itachi gave a slow nod and took a deep breath. He was uncharacteristically hesitant. Sasuke tipped his head in recognition. “She’s menstruating again.”

Itachi nodded, taking a distracted sip.

“Last night. Sometimes I wonder if we should keep trying, or if we should stop and let fate and the gods have their way.” He watched the dark liquid with a pensive furrow of his brows, his eyes tracing the water rippling from his movements.

It was rare to see Itachi downtrodden or unsure, and yet as Sasuke looked at him, Itachi seemed weary and at a loss. He didn’t really know what to say to his brother, didn’t know how to comfort him. He knew nothing beyond the basics of how children were conceived, and from the way his mother had warned him to be careful, it seemed like getting a girl pregnant was incredibly easy. But then if it was that easy, why had Itachi and Izumi been struggling for years?

Sasuke placed his hand over Itachi’s, drawing his brother’s eyes up to his fearsome black depths.

“Sakura is the best at what she does; she won’t rest until she’s done everything she can. She won’t fail you and Izumi. And I know my duty; I won’t fail you either, Nii-san.”

Itachi looked at his little brother’s face, set with determination. Often it was so easy to imagine him still as the little kid who toddled around after him, always seeking his attention. But it was times like these when Itachi was reminded just how much his little brother had grown. Serious and convicted, Sasuke was quite relentless when he sent his mind to a task, and despite what the elders sometimes grumbled about, Sasuke had become quite determined to serve his duty to the clan…that worried Itachi more than it should have.

“I know you won’t fail, Sasuke. You still have to surpass me someday.” Sasuke gave him an arrogant smile, probably about to say that he already had, but Itachi held his hand up. “Just make sure that you do not sacrifice your own happiness in the process.”

“You aren’t having second thoughts about Izumi?” Sasuke questioned superficially, but they both knew the answer.

“Never. Even knowing all of this, I would choose Izumi again for a thousand lifetimes.”

Sasuke nodded, predicting such, and finished his cup. To hear Itachi talk about Izumi, it was like she alone held the key to his happiness. Sasuke could admit that deep down, a part of him wanted that. A part of him wanted a wife that he would be happy to see when he came home, a wife that he would roll over to in the middle of the night and pull her close to him. He wanted a woman whose very presence calmed and centered him. But that part of him had to stay dormant. If he spent his timing looking for that woman, comparing every woman on his marriage list to that ideal, he would never choose anyone. He had let go of those wishes, but after his latest assignment, he’d found something he couldn’t let go of.

“What brought you here, little brother?” Itachi asked, sensing that his little brother’s visit was not just a social call; he watched Sasuke chew on some question that seemed to be a bigger bother to him. After some time, it seemed that Sasuke had finally figured out how he wanted to word his thoughts.

“Why did you give up ANBU?”

Itachi’s eyes widened. He hadn’t been expecting this question at all, much less that it would seem such a heavy question for Sasuke to voice. It wasn’t unknown that he had always been more pacifistic by nature; he’d never really enjoyed the violence of shinobi life, but understood its necessity to keep those he cared about safe; he told Sasuke this.

“Izumi was also worried about me dying and only being told that my name is on the Memorial stone. The thought terrified her, but she made no demands of me. She knew the life of a shinobi and she knew what it meant to be such an elite shinobi as ANBU. I guess I decided that I would serve the village differently. I will obviously serve as the head of the Uchiha clan, but I figured that I could still protect the village as a proctor for the jōnin and ANBU selection exams.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No.” Itachi waited for a beat. “But you would.”

It was Sasuke’s turned to be shocked. He hadn’t expected Itachi to strike so quickly at his fear.

“You thrive off of battle in a way that I do not. You are not content to sit back and watch others do what you feel you can do yourself. You, like Naruto, prefer to be in the thick of things, controlling the outcome with you own hands. There is nothing wrong with that, Otouto.”

“The last few weeks babysitting the Hokage have been killing me,” Sasuke grumbled, looking up to the ceiling in exasperation. Itachi shook his head and smiled at his little brother. Sometimes, Sasuke really had no patience.

“Don’t let Lady Tsunade hear you complaining. I am sure she could find much worse duty for you.” Sasuke shot a glare at the clear amusement in Itachi’s voice.

“She’s already threatened me with a genin team; I’ll keep my mouth shut. If the elders really wanted me to get married, they would have petitioned to stick me with Hokage duty long ago.”

“Are you close to breaking then, Sasuke? I thought you would have lasted a little longer than a few weeks.” Itachi smiled and finished off the last of his tea. He picked up the used dishes and walked over to the kitchen to rinse them off.

“I’m going to choose from the scroll, just whoever I chose has to know that I’m not leaving ANBU—the missions not the babysitting.”

“Is that something you will not compromise on, Sasuke? You will learn very quickly that a marriage will fail if you are not both working towards the same ends in some sort of agreement on how to reach them.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem, Nii-san. Whoever I marry is an Uchiha; all of our women are shinobi or a part of the police force, and they know what it means for us to be among the elite shinobi of the village.”

Itachi contemplated Sasuke’s words for a moment, coming back to sit at the table.

“Is that why you did not ask the council to accept the civilian you’ve been seeing? Does she not accept the life of a shinobi?”

Sasuke scoffed. Of course Kanami didn’t accept the life of a shinobi; she didn’t understand it, and Sasuke didn’t think she had ever really tried to comprehend what it meant to be a weapon for their village. It had been pretty clear that she wanted a man with the title of an elite shinobi, but not the actual prowess and dedication it took to become one, let alone stay one. He’d thought he’d made it clear in the beginning that he wasn’t the type of shinobi she was looking for.

“It was never anything serious with Kanami; she wants to be a trophy wife.”

“And that is not what you desire for your wife?”

Sasuke looked towards the window and the grey clouds covering the sky. The warmth of autumn left over from summer was quickly fading to the grey and white of winter. “No.”

“Then why involve yourself with her for so long?” Itachi asked with a skeptical raise of his eyebrow. While he had never necessarily agreed with Sasuke’s strategy of dating different girls, Itachi wouldn’t lie and say that he wasn’t interested in why his brother had chosen to stay with Kanami for so many months if she was not what he was looking for.

Sasuke shrugged, still looking out the window. “Guess it was easier. With how many long term ANBU missions I was taking, I was out of the village more than I was in it.” Sasuke turned back to see his brother nod with a pensive look. Itachi waited for a long moment before speaking again.

“And with your wife, do you intend to take such extensive missions again?”

Sasuke furrowed his brow. He hadn’t really considered that. He’d just figured he would take whatever missions the Hokage assigned him, as he had been doing before protocol for his status as clan heir had been initiated. He figured his wife would accept that because she would already know the inner workings of the shinobi world; if a shinobi, especially ANBU, declined too many missions, well there were more clamoring to take their place. Could he even handle being couped in the village for long periods of time any more without going stir-crazy? It had been a month since his last mission out of the village, and he already felt his legs itching for the burn of racing through the trees and his palms twitching for harder combat than sparring.

“Guess I’ll have to find one with something worth keeping me here,” Sasuke tossed his brother a devious smirk.

The bark of laughter bubbled out before Itachi could even stop it. He shook his head with mirth at the sly grin on his little brother’s face: so much like when they were younger and Sasuke had come up with one scheme or another to get him to play with him. “Good luck, Otouto. May the gods grant your wife the patience of a monk.”

* * *

Izumi took a deep shaky breath and gripped the paper covering the examination table tightly between her fists. She didn’t know she could feel worse than she had when she’d woken up to her menstruation, but here she was, tears streaming down her face with guilt and disappointment roiling in her belly. Sakura must think she was an absolute lunatic, struggling to get pregnant for nearly 10 years.

“I’m so embarrassed,” Izumi wiped her tears away with the back of her sleeve. From nearly the moment Sakura had walked in and so gently asked why she was here, the tears unleashed themselves. It would have been cathartic for Izumi if she had been in the privacy of her own home: to truly be able to talk about all of her fears and doubts and struggles. But releasing all of that to Sakura felt like a betrayal of her clan…and yet, there was still a lighter feeling to the tension weighing heavy on her shoulder.

“Don’t be. Fertility issues are natural; many couples have them. Unfortunately, it just isn’t talked about as a natural part of a marriage.” Sakura laid her hand on Izumi’s shoulder gently and handed her another tissue. Izumi gave her a small but grateful smile and accepted the tissue, drying her cheeks with the soft paper. Sakura smiled back to the other woman and went back to the physician’s desk to check over her notes.

“Do you think there’s hope? That I might be able to—?” Izumi couldn’t say the words. To say the words was to give herself another glimmer of possibility, of maybe, and she didn’t think she was strong enough to have that glimmer squashed again, officially, with such finality as by a medic’s opinion.

Sakura looked over Izumi’s medical chart carefully, making sure that she had recorded her notes to her usual pristine. She would set up every test and appointment now rather than wait and lose time. From the many times she’d spoken to women struggling with infertility, Sakura knew the enormous amount of faith and courage it had taken Izumi to come see her; she wouldn’t betray that by being negligent. “I don’t see why not; you and Itachi are both young and healthy. But of course, as typical practice, I can’t promise anything. Once we run a few diagnostic tests, we’ll have much more information to go off of. What I can promise, Izumi, is that I’ll run every test to give you the best possible chance.” Sakura walked over and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

“Okay,” Izumi gave a shaky, watery and watery laugh. “Thank you, Sakura,” Izumi stood, pulling the medic into an unsuspecting hug.

“Of course.” Sakura returned the hug, happy that she could at least give some measure of comfort. She truly couldn’t imagine desperately wanting something for 10 years, only for it to be denied monthly like clockwork. On some level, it had to be a heavy burden over Izumi and Itachi’s marriage, even if they were so in love that neither blamed the other. But to see Izumi and Itachi together, well, they really were the perfect couple. Izumi released the medic and sat back down. Sakura grabbed 2 lists of appointments spread out over the next few days and handed them to Izumi.

“Okay, so to recap. We’ll start with the basics, making sure that structurally, everything is correct and working as it should be. I’ll perform an examination to confirm that your uterus, cervix, and ovaries all feel normal. The lab will analyze the sample of your menstruation to make sure that your uterine wall is thick enough for an egg to attach—sometimes the problem is as simple as that. Are you following me so far?” Sakura paused to let some of the information sink in. Once Izumi nodded, she continued on. “For Itachi, we’ll start by looking at his sperm count and development; we’ll make sure that his little swimmers are moving normally. I’ll also take a look at his tubes to see if his sperm are being transported as they should be. If we can rule out anything physically abnormal with the both of you, then we’ll look at hormone production and balance.”

Izumi fiddled with the paper, worrying it over in her hands. “Sakura… if none of those things turn out to be the problem?”

Sakura’s smile dimmed in understanding, but she didn’t let it completely slip from her face. “If none of those are the problem, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to talk about surrogacy. But we can cross that bridge if it looks like we’ll need to go near it. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

“I appreciate that. Itachi and I haven’t talked about a surrogate. I don’t think it’s ever really crossed our minds. I guess we just believed getting pregnant wouldn’t be that hard,” Izumi looked out the office window, almost unable to bring herself to meet Sakura’s eyes.

“I understand… Izumi, do you have anyone to talk to about this?” Sakura caged her question carefully. As the Matriarch-in-training, of course she didn’t have many people she could share this issue with; it was the matriarch’s first duty to provide an heir for the future prosperity of the clan. She doubted Izumi really felt comfortable fully talking to anyone, and many times, family could say the most biting words of all. Sure enough, Izumi shook her head.

“You’re the only person I’ve really talked to. With the Uchiha medics and priests, it’s more…clinical.”

“I gotcha,” Sakura nodded her understanding. “Well, I know it might not be something you want, but if you need a confidant, I’m here,” she smiled brightly. Izumi returned her smile with a subdued one of her own.

“Thank you, Sakura. I’m not sure I feel comfortable divulging any more information, but it’s nice to know about the option.” Izumi stood and walk towards the door. Sakura followed her, wishing her well and reminding her of the dates for she and Itachi’s first appointments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note at end: To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.


	10. Chapter 10

“Sasuke-kun,” Hanui greeted the clan heir, surprised to see him at their uncle’s dango shop. From what she could remember, he’d never had a sweet tooth; she’d never even seen him eat candy in all the years she had known him.

Sasuke nodded to her and stepped aside so she could place her order with their uncle. Out of habit, Hanui scanned the menu mounted up on the wall, but she always ordered her usual: 3 dango sticks with a side of sweet cherry syrup and a cup of herbal tea. Her uncle smiled and wrote down her order, even though he had it memorized by now. He gestured for her to step aside and wait next to Sasuke as he began gathering ingredients. She nodded and moved so that she wouldn’t be in the way of other customers wishing to enter the shop.

“It’s rare to see you in the dango shop, Sasuke-kun,” She teased gently, trying to prevent any awkward tension from forming between them. They were the only ones in the shop so early.

“Hn,” Sasuke agreed with her, but did not elaborate any further on why he was there. He leaned against the wall of the shop with his arms crossed, holding his body in a relaxed state but still alert as a shinobi. Hanui rolled her eyes, used to his blunt responses.

“Are you here for Itachi-san then?” She pressed, stepping closer to her conversation-evasive cousin. She was careful not to invade his personal space too much, but she did want to make sure he didn’t ignore her attempts at cordiality.

“Him and Izumi,” Sasuke glanced down to her. Hanui smiled brightly and nodded her head in understanding.

“How nice of you,” She nudged his arm and gave him a conspirator’s look. “It did all start with dango for them, didn’t it?”

Sasuke didn’t respond, only looked backed to their uncle who was rolling the mochi balls carefully and with the well-practiced precision befitting his mastery. Sasuke had come to the dango shop on his way out to the training grounds, thinking to leave the sweet treat to cheer up Izumi and perhaps Itachi if she let him have any. Their rivalry for the last dango stick was notorious, and Sasuke had deliberately ordered an odd number of sticks to spark some levity to combat the sadness brought on by Izumi’s menstruation.

Not deterred in the slightest at the break in conversation, Hanui nudged Sasuke’s arm again and wagged her brow. “How do you think it will start for you? Tomatoes maybe?”

Sasuke blew air through his nose in a show of amusement and shook his head at her. The corners of his lips tipped up slightly, and Hanui counted that as a win.

“Not tomatoes then? Hmm,” she tapped her finger against her lips in feigned critical thought. “How about a mutual dislike of sweets?”

“No. Probably a desire to never eat ramen again,” He submitted, playing along with her jest.

“Ah, is that all Naruto-san eats still?” She giggled a bit at the blonde’s notorious appetite. Sasuke’s prolonged friendship with Naruto-san took some getting used to at first, with them being nearly opposites. But now it was almost expected to hear about them getting into a one-sided argument at Ichiraku that ended in the boisterous blonde challenging Sasuke-kun to some contest or another. “It’s a very good thing the Kyuubi has so much chakra then; I’m not sure how else Naruto-san would survive with his unhealthy diet.”

“Hn. At this point, his body would die of shock from eating a vegetable.” Sasuke pushed off the wall to walk up to the counter. He accepted the To-Go container, placing enough money down for both his and Hanui’s orders.

“I’ll be sure to listen for the clan survey of women who like ramen and women who do not,” Hanui smiled. She thanked Sasuke for his kindness and watched him walk out into the misty gray of mid-autumn in Konoha.

Sasuke backtracked through the compound to his brother and sister-in-law’s home and rapped on the door, leaving the package on the porch where he knew one of them would pick it up. He made his way outside of the Uchiha compound and towards the training grounds reserved for jonin and ANBU members, eager to train away some of his restlessness from the ease of his guard duty assignment

* * *

Ino walked through the village, trying not to shiver against the misty weather. She cursed herself for not bringing a jacket or scarf when she left the house this morning, but she hadn’t felt cold until after she was well on her way. She wouldn’t be out long anyway; all she had to do was drop the scroll off at the hospital and then head to the flower shop for her shift. She always kept a go-bag stocked with a cloak or jacket at the shop just in case she was called away on a mission, so she didn’t need to worry about being cold walking home after her shift.

As she walked, Ino thought of the scroll in her pocket, the information on mental health that Sakura had asked her about—generations worth of research and observation condensed down to simple inked characters on parchment. The information itself was not monumental; it was what someone wanted to do with the information that turned it into such a dangerous weapon. What was in this scroll could be used to train young shinobi to destroy the sanity of their opponent. Even without the Yamanaka kekkei genkai, they would be able to shatter the psyche beyond repair. And all of it would be justified under the guise of protecting the village—the same excuse Danzo used every time he recruited another Yamanaka to the T&I department. But in the hands of Sakura, it could save so many young shinobi.

She knew her best friend, but still it had been an ordeal for Ino to convince herself to take the scroll to Sakura, even after she had defended Sakura’s reasoning for the request to her father and clan elders. Ino wondered if Shikaku was having the same moral struggle with releasing Nara medical information to Sakura; then again, he would have already factored the harm versus the benefits before agreeing to help.

Ino glanced up to make sure she wasn’t going to run into anything and let her eyes fall back down to continue her thoughts. She looked back up quickly, sending her blonde hair fluttering with the sudden movement. She almost looked for an alleyway to duck behind, but that would have been much too cowardly of a move for her pride to handle. Instead, she tipped her chin up, pressed her shoulders back, and walked forward, meeting Shikamaru and Temari in the street.

“Temari, what are you doing here? I didn’t know you were back in the village,” Ino greeted with as bright a smile as she could manage. She could feel her cheeks twitching from the strain of holding the smile on her face, but she refused to appear as anything but unphased.

Temari and Shikamaru stopped and stepped over to Ino so they weren’t blocking the entire street. Temari kept a straight face, but she could easily see the strain of the smile on Ino’s lips and cheeks. She had to give it to the girl, mustering a smile that big to avoid showing that they had caught her off guard was no easy feat. Temari could feel Shikamaru shifting beside her, and she almost pitied him with how panic rolled off of him in waves…almost. Temari opened her mouth to respond.

“Uhhhh, we’re checking out one of the hot springs,” Shikamaru spoke up before the Sand kunoichi had a chance, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

Ino nodded slowly, while Temari side-eyed Shikamaru, fighting the smirk threatening to break out on her lips. It was like this idiot was trying to get himself killed.

“For Hinata and Naruto!” He threw in hastily, trying to recover. “Thought maybe it would be a nice honeymoon gift.”

“That’s a great idea,” Ino forced out through her clenched smile. The words tasted like acid on her tongue, but she wouldn’t show any emotion other than pure joy in front of the two of them. Who was she to care what they did in their private time? It didn’t affect her at all. Not One Bit. She turned to Temari, brushing off her teammate and situationship partner; she still really didn’t know how to think of Shikamaru. Lover felt too intimate, but friend-with-benefits felt too emotionless.

“Temari, are you in town for the jonin exams?” Ino dropped her smile but let the words fall out of her mouth in a well-practiced breezy tone. Anyone walking past would think they were acquaintances just catching up. And to be fair, Ino actually liked the tough and witty kunoichi.

“Yeah, I’m not an official proctor this year,” Temari shifted her weight to one hip and continued, “but Gaara wanted me here early to evaluate some things for our training program. This knucklehead,” she pointed to Shikamaru, “ran into me in the street and asked if I wouldn’t mind giving a woman’s opinion on the onsen, seeing as he’s hopeless with us and all. Of course, I couldn’t say no; a vacation on his dime is just what I need.” Temari smirked, enjoying Shikamaru’s obvious torment and embarrassment.

“I understand women just fine. I just want to make sure it’s the right gift for them,” Shikamaru grumbled, not that Ino was really paying much attention to his elaborations.

He had asked Temari of all people to go with him to a romantic onsen to see if it would make a great gift for _newlyweds_. Ino wasn’t stupid. Shikamaru wouldn’t have had the thought spur of the moment; he didn’t just bump into Temari and ask her to go with him. Shikamaru would have been planning to inspect it all along and would have wanted a woman’s opinion from the beginning. To top it off, a romantic onsen wasn’t the place he would just take anyone. He would want to have a romantic connection with someone already to feel comfortable walking in and determining if it was romantic enough. He’d also want to see the honeymoon suite before reserving it. Knowing Shikamaru’s obsession with planning, he’d spend the night in the honeymoon suite and order a romantic dinner just to make sure it was all perfect, especially if he _was_ actually recommending it for Naruto and Hinata. No, Ino wasn’t dumb. Shikamaru was planning to ask Temari to marry him today, and he didn’t even have the decency to tell Ino that their thing was over with first.

Anger swirled in her gut and shame rose in her throat. Her fists clenched at her sides. She could feel hot tears of rage bubbling behind her eyes, but she’d be damned before she let either of them see that his actions had hurt her. Absolutely not! She was Yamanaka Ino. She didn’t cry over any guy. She had the same standing as Shikamaru and wouldn’t let him make her feel like she was worth any less. Wrapping her indignation around her like a shield, she stood straight and tall.

“Well this has been fun, but I was just passing through. I’ve got business to attend to. Hope you have a good stay, Temari.” Ino gave a short wave and walked past them, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she went. She refused to acknowledge Shikamaru’s presence since he seemed to be lacking in common curtesy.

Remembering where she was originally heading, Ino shifted gears and looped around in the next alley to begin walking towards the training grounds, hoping her target would be there.

“You are absolutely pathetic,” Temari glanced over to Shikamaru after the blonde had disappeared through the bustling street.

“I know,” Shikamaru’s shoulders dropped in dejection. He wasn’t sure what conclusion Ino had come to, but he’d seen the fire swirling in her crystal blue eyes and knew it wasn’t anything good.

“If you don’t hurry up and ask her; some other guy will,” Temari taunted in a sing-song voice, nudging Shikamaru to start walking towards the onsen.

“You’re not helping,” he glared and grumbled at her.

“Of course I am! I’m telling you to get a move on it. And if you don’t, well, I can’t wait to see you wallowing in self-pity.”

“Tch, troublesome woman, enjoying my misery.”

“You can’t best me at everything, slacker clown,” Temari laughed. It was half amusing, half comforting to see the usually composed shinobi thrown off his game. He really couldn’t be perfect at everything. But why Shikamaru thought he needed to make some grand gesture like taking Ino to an onsen to propose was beyond her. She’d seen how they interacted; Ino would say yes no matter where he popped the question. But Shikamaru was determined for everything to be perfect, hence why he’d asked her to come examine the place before he took Ino there.

* * *

Ino stomped through the village on her way to the training grounds, completely ignoring the way men, women, and children scrambled to get out of her way. Murder rolled off her in waves, but she kept her mind solely on the training grounds. For the sake of her temper, he had better be there and not make her traverse through this whole damn village to find him. or she was liable to kill him.

Ino heard the solid clang of a shuriken hitting the wooden target and stopped. As pissed as she was, she wasn’t going to charge in on a shinobi training session and get her head taken off. She watched as Sasuke twisted his body in the air, striking another target meters away from the first one. He moved with the grace of a jungle cat—sleek and smooth with deadly accuracy. His shirt lay cast aside in the grass, showing off his impeccable physique glistening with sweat despite the temperature and time of the day. He must have been training for a while, Ino figured, and the scorch marks on the training grounds revealed the use of his fireball jutsu that had no doubt contributed to the sweat slipping down his chest and towards the waistband of his pants. If she wasn’t in such a terrible mood, she would admire his attractive form, but right now, all she wanted to do was punch something.

Sasuke landed soundlessly on the ground and turned towards her, signaling that he was pausing his training session. Ino stomped over to him and shoved the scroll into his hand.

“Make sure Sakura gets it.” Ino huffed, clearheaded enough even in her rage to not reveal what was in the scroll. Sasuke turned the scroll to see the official Yamanaka clan seal in the wax, then looked back to the kunoichi with a raised brow. Last he checked, he wasn’t Ino’s messenger.

“Why don’t you give it to her directly?” Sasuke walked over to his shirt and pulled the fabric on, keeping the scroll in his hand instead of tossing it into his weapons pouch. He looked over to Ino who had walked after him, face contorted in a deep frown.

“Because I was looking for you,” Anger seeped into her voice. Sasuke waited, curious but not at all invested in what he had to do with Ino’s soured mood. Getting no real response, Ino continued feeling her anger simmering over with each word she spoke.

“Why is it taking you so long to break up with her? We all know you have no plans to marry her,” Ino bit out. It made absolutely no sense why he wasted any time with Kanami. Was she ready to take her anger out on Sasuke for the similarities to her own situation? Sure. But it wasn’t like she was asking an unwarranted question.

“I have other priorities,” Sasuke responded, knowing the excuse was flimsy.

Ino nodded. “Right, cowardice then; Sakura told me you’re still avoiding your own mother.”

Sasuke scowled but remained silent. He was not avoiding his mother, only making sure to be more cautious around areas she frequented. His mother would want some grand admission that he and Sakura had been seeing each other and were in love and that he was putting the needs of the clan before his own. And that wasn’t what was happening between them. It was sex. Plain and simple. Rough, dirty, good sex. Were they more comfortable with each other, of course. But that wasn’t from any hidden feelings of love or desire. Their comfort and intimacy came from the years that they had worked together. The years they had bled together. The years they had held each other in their arms, trembling with fear, and pain, and rage. They had both held each other’s lives in their hands. With Sakura, he didn’t have to be anything else, anyone else; all he needed to be was himself.

Kanami was a completely different situation. She expected him to be some fantasy of a husband; some man she had been creating in her mind since she was a girl. Even when he had told her he would marry whoever his clan deemed worthy, he had seen the glint in her eyes that had bespoke her desire: that his clan would deem _her_ worthy, that he would campaign for _her_. With ending their arrangement, he had no interest in dissecting every moment of their time together, of having to explain what he had been thinking and feeling as he knew she would want him to do. But Ino was right. Why drag it out any further? Why take any longer?

He’d face the impending explosion as he faced any other mission: with skill and strategy, but more importantly, head on.

But looking at the flaming expanse of her chakra, Ino hadn’t come to talk about his own love life, for lack of a better term. Her question hadn’t truly been about striking some sense of regret, shame, or morality in him. So he waited for her to share what was really troubling her.

Ino looked down and bit her trembling lip, trying so hard not to let her rage reveal her hurt. As much as her mind knew it was futile to hide from Sasuke’s piercing eyes, her pride told her not to let her mask slip, to hold onto the anger as if it was the only thing keeping her from being washed away by her emotions. When she looked back up, Sasuke was glancing off towards the forest. To anyone else, it would look as if he were uncomfortable or bored. But she knew he was giving her as much privacy as he could with her interrupting his training session. Sasuke hadn’t taken the scroll or his gear and left; he was giving her the opportunity to talk. She was thankful for that.

With her shoulders sagging and silent tears slipping down her cheeks, Ino clenched her fists and prayed that her voice wouldn’t crack too badly. “Why didn’t Shikamaru tell me that he’s going marry Temari?”

Sasuke said nothing, only arched his perfect brow and looked at her, waiting for more of an explanation.

“I ran into them in the street when I was going to drop off the scroll for Sakura. Temari said Shikamaru had just ran into her and asked her to check out the onsen as a _wedding present_ for Naruto and Hinata,’ Ino nearly spat the words into the dust. More tears fell as her mind replayed the encounter again. How close they were standing, how they had angled their bodies towards each other, how their fingers were just a whisper away. All signs of their intimacy and comfort with each other. Had Shikamaru ever stood so close to her even after their years as teammates, and friends, and more than friends?

Ino would be happy for Shikamaru, finding true love and everything, but he didn’t have to embarrass her by letting her find out that they were done after he’d already proposed to Temari. If she hadn’t happened to bump into them, would he have let her find out from some random civilian or one of their old classmates? Would she have found out when the wedding invitation arrived at her door? Or better yet, would she have found out when he brought Temari to Naruto and Hinata’s wedding with a brilliant ring on her finger?

“And that has you certain he’s going to marry her?” Sasuke promted, preventing Ino from fully getting lost in her thoughts.

“Oh please. Shikamaru wouldn’t just run into Temari and ask her. He would have already set everything up. Besides, he was practically bumbling like a fool while explaining where they were going. He was clearly hiding something, and the only logical conclusion is that he didn’t think I would find out.”

Sasuke nodded, conceding that point to the blonde, but that still didn’t convince him Shikamaru was indefinitely going to ask Temari to marry him. If that were the case, Shikamaru would have told Ino first to avoid her wrath at finding out through the grapevine. If he had to bet, whatever Shikamaru was doing involved Ino.

“Shikamaru is a strategist. He doesn’t make uncalculated moves.”

“So what are you saying? You think that he’s deliberately not saying anything to me? What sense would that make? To just string me along.” Ino challenged, hearing the watery wavering she hated so much in her voice. If Shikamaru was just stringing her along to get as much as he could from her, she’d break his mind in two.

“No,” Sasuke gave a small shake of his head. “He’s not stringing you along. That wouldn’t serve any tactical advantage. You’re an unknown variable, and he can’t figure you out.”

Ino’s eyes widened in shock then narrowed in skepticism, but she let Sasuke continue.

“Whatever he’s doing, if he knew how you would respond, he would have already made the 15 moves he has in his head. That he hasn’t done anything means he needs more data.” Sasuke walked toward his bag, letting Ino think over his words. Ino watched as Sasuke placed her scroll into his bag and secured it.

“We’ve known each other our whole lives; Shikamaru knows me,” Ino answered back with a cloud of uncertainty floating through her voice.

Sasuke picked up a few shuriken from his bag, ready to be done with the conversation and back to his training regimen before his muscles grew cold. “He doesn’t know you as a romantic partner. Shikamaru doesn’t take unknown risks.”

As Sasuke walked back towards the training posts, Ino stepped forward, unwilling to let the conversation die at that. That wasn’t a satisfying enough conclusion, and she refused to let herself go back to the flower shop and think about that fuckboy all day. She clenched her fist and called out. “His time is running out.”

Sasuke paused in his steps and tilted his head back to Ino, looking into her cornflower blue eyes. He almost smirked, seeing some of the fire rising back. He hadn’t spent much time with Ino personally, but Ino wasn’t the type to cower in fear and dejection. From every time he encountered her, she was always bold and loud and confident. Sakura would have killed him if he didn’t try to raise some of that back into her.

“Maybe it needs to. We can only account for so many things in life.” He turned and walked back towards his target, shaking out the tightening muscles and getting back into form.

Ino nodded her head, knowing that Sasuke wasn’t paying his full attention to her but was still listening none the less. “Sasuke, when you end your own shit, give the girl a little dignity. Don’t go flaunting that new wife of yours so soon. And that,” she looked to the scroll in his bag, “better make it to Sakura intact.”

Sasuke nodded, releasing and handful of shuriken and letting his mind shift back to his training. Ino shook her head and headed towards the flower shop, feeling the chill of the air starting to return now that her blood was cooling with her temper.

Sasuke ran towards the post and leaped off of the top, twisting his body nimbly in the air and released a string of shuriken to wrap around the wood. The wires attached sung as they slipped over each other to wrap around the post, digging in as they would in human flesh. Sasuke held the wires in one hand and weaved the signs quickly with his other. He unleashed his Dragon Inferno jutsu on the poor post, scorching a wall of flames towards the wood that would destroy everything in its path.

Once the firewall disappeared, Sasuke frowned at the burnt remains of the wooden post. His single hand weaving was still too slow. Even if he wasn’t able to use a jutsu so flashy on most of his assignments, the hand signs should have still been an almost invisible blur, and yet he’d still been able to count the milliseconds between each hand sign and the gathering of his chakra from his core. He’d gotten far too complacent on Hokage guard duty and had let his training slip.

He made a mental note to ask Shisui or Itachi to train with him, since they were the fastest active shinobi who would be able to see his hand signs. He could ask Kakashi, but he’d long surpassed his stamina, speed, and creativity with Chidori. Not that Kakashi couldn’t be helpful in his training, but Sasuke needed the threat of an enemy who was faster than him, forcing him to weave his signs as quick as his life depended on it. Kakashi could test if his signs were visible, but he wouldn’t be able to retaliate faster than Sasuke could gather his chakra. Maybe his father wouldn’t mind bringing his Mangekyou out of retirement.

As he prepared for another round, a ferret bounded up his leg, around his torso, and settled on his shoulder, holding a summoning scroll in its mouth. Sasuke took the scroll from his father’s summons and popped open the seal. He scratched the weasel on its head and read the instructions.

Having delivered its message, the ferret disappeared back to its world, leaving Sasuke to sigh at the second interruption to his training session. He walked over to his bag and tossed it over his shoulder, mentally reminding himself to stop by the hospital after his meeting with his father.

He weaved the sign and shushinned to the Uchiha compound.

* * *

“Good, you’re both here,” Fugaku placed a series of documents in 3 piles on the table as Itachi and Sasuke arrived at the door. They both slipped off their shoes, with Sasuke depositing his training gear in the corner, and walked over to the table. They sat on their usual cushions, waiting for their father to finish dividing the piles. Itachi had immediate flashbacks to the last time he’d sat at this table with piles of scrolls in front of him, and only barely managed to suppress his shiver; he was not eager to go through the likes of selecting Sasuke’s marriage list again any time soon.

“What’s your summon about, Father?” Sasuke picked up the first application on his pile and scanned over the information; it was a typical ninja rap sheet: summary of rank, mission completion records, skill ranks, special abilities, and clan affiliation if any.

“We’ve received this year’s applications for the Police Academy. There are a surprising amount of non-Uchiha candidates this year.”

“You think some have elected not to take the ANBU selection exams?” Itachi hypothesized. While it wasn’t unusual for other shinobi not from the clan to be a part of the police force, it was by no means common. The 2nd Hokage had decreed that the police force was the domain of the Uchiha, and while that had come with the relocation of the clan to the outskirts where the station and jail had been built, the Uchiha were too proud to do any job less than excellent.

“It’s not unlikely. Sasuke,” Fugaku turned his attention to his youngest son, causing Sasuke to look up from the rap sheet he’d been reading and to his father. “You are now the heir to the clan. It will be your responsibility to learn the ins and outs of the police force as Itachi has learned them. I will still be acting chief, but you will now sit in on decisions of selection, policy, and protocol. You’ll need intricate knowledge of how the system works to select the next police chief after me. Do you understand?”

Sasuke nodded to his father. It felt both strange and honoring to feel his father place so much trust in him. Growing up, he’d always been in Itachi’s shadow, had been searching for any way to make his own mark. At first, he’d thought that he would become a part of the police force, since Itachi hadn’t taken that path, but after meeting Naruto, he’d been driven by his rival and friend to become a member of ANBU.

“Alright, then. Sasuke, you have the applications for applicants seeking to enter the police force ranked chunin or above; keep in mind that we will need more female candidates to expand the sexual trauma and domestic violence units. Itachi, you’re putting together the supportive security units for the upcoming exams. I’ll be examining officers recommended for promotions.”

Both sons nodded and got to work analyizing the scrolls placed in front of them.

The three men worked in comfortable quiet; none feeling the need to fill the space with unnecessary talking. The room was filled with the shuffling of papers, the scratching of brushes and ink wells, and the odd shift of clothing when they needed to change positions. They were all comfortable communicating only when necessary, and with the fewest words necessary, something Mikoto had constantly joked about when the boys still lived at home.

Sasuke was a third of the way through his pile as he examined an application from Fukuhara Kiraya, a kunoichi he remembered from his jonin exams. He hadn’t paid much attention to her battles, but she was intelligent. Her stats read well enough, average in ninjutsu and genjutsu, which wouldn’t be much of a disadvantage with the Uchiha being genjutsu and ninjutsu specialists; her taijutsu scores weren’t impressive, but she had some sensory capabilities listed under specialists. Sasuke folded the corner of her application to find it more easily if he wanted to look back at her. If her taijutsu could be trained, she could round out a partner, but the most important thing would be her people skills. If she had some sensory ability, at least enough to recognize different chakra signatures, and she was good at making people feel comfortable with her, that would help in identifying perpetrators, especially in sexual trauma cases.

He picked up another application, scanning the specialties and, not seeing anything that would strengthen a weakness in the police force, placed the application in the reserved rejection pile. If they needed candidates by the end of his pile, then he’d look through the reserved rejection pile and pull from the best there. The next application surprised him quite a bit. Uchiha Hanui.

Hanui had entered the Academy a year after Sasuke and the rest of the Rookie 9. While they weren’t particularly friends, he’d walked with her home at times when Naruto wasn’t challenging him to some stupid after school fight. She was already an accomplished kunoichi with the Mangekyou Sharingan, earned from witnessing her younger sister’s death on a mission to Waterfall. Her ability to delay her enemy’s perception of pain would be more useful to advance her to ANBU or the Interrogation units, but she’d chosen the police force; it didn’t necessarily make sense that she would leave that career to start over.

“Hanui submitted an application,” He moved her application to the acceptance pile. Fugaku and Itachi shared a knowing glance then turned back to their piles. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at them, waiting for one of them to explain.

“She’s moving up in the betting; she’s only a year younger than you and you’re familiar with her. Many think she has a good possibility of being on the scroll,” Fugaku finally explained. Sasuke’s lips turned down in a scowl. She couldn’t seriously be easing her career on the off chance that she was even on the scroll, let alone that he would choose her. Not that he wouldn’t seriously consider her if she was on the scroll, but since he’d made no attempts on courting any woman yet, it seemed stupid to him for her to take the route already.

“Is she?”

“She’s strong and skilled. While I’m not pushing you to make a decision yet, it wouldn’t kill you to at least open the scroll,” Fugaku nagged with a smirk.

Sasuke was about to retort when a sharp chill went down his back. Fugaku and Itachi both looked up urgently and straightened, sensing the chakra signature filling the room.

“Back door,” Itachi murmured, and Sasuke scrambled with an embarrassing lack of skill to get out from under the table before the door slammed open. He was too late.

“Oh no you don’t, Uchiha Sasuke!” Mikoto walked in with a dark anger around her and set down her basket of fabric for sewing his future bride’s uchiwas.

Fugaku and Itachi bit their lips, furiously trying not to laugh as Sasuke sank back into his seat. One sound would bring Mikoto’s full wrath down on them as well.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me anything about you and Sakura!” She hissed, then turned to the other men. “And you two, you knew all this time. A house of traitors I tell you! Two of them from my own womb!” Mikoto place her hands on her hips, glaring at her youngest son waiting for some kind of explanation to the egregious front. After how many times she had mentioned that Sakura would make a good choice for Sasuke, for her whole family to keep secret that they were already involved—useless, all three of them!

“Kaa-san, it wasn’t anything more than the physical; it still isn’t.” It required all of his dignity and pride for Sasuke not to whine to his mother. The tips of his ears were tinged red and his shoulders were hunched; he hated disappointing her, and he wanted to avoid this conversation at all costs.

“Just physical, I don’t believe that for one second. Sakura has always been the only one who could _ever_ convince you to go to the festivals. You don’t go to festivals with someone you’re only physically involved with.”

“That’s not the evidence you think it is, Kaa-san,” Itachi grumbled quietly.

“You don’t really want to have this conversation, Mikoto,” Fugaku tried, taking pity on his youngest son. Though they sympathized with Sasuke, neither man rose their voices too loud to counteract Mikoto’s righteous indignation. Her fury burned ice cold.

“Kaa-san… at the festivals…we were…” Sasuke wondered if his mother would drop the conversation if she knew that he enjoyed the festivals only because he and Sakura would sneak away from them. They had started off dry humping at the training grounds until they got brave enough to touch under their clothes. The first time he’d ever fingered a girl had been Sakura during the Lantern Festival. She’d come just when the fireworks went off like some sort of erotic fairytale, and he’d just barely managed to avoid jizzing all over his shorts. The first time Sakura had gone down on a guy had been him in the glades during the Winter Festival; his ass cheeks had been freezing, but her mouth had felt incredible.

His mother would definitely not want to hear about any of those escapades.

“You. Were. What?” Mikoto pressed. All 3 men look at her pointedly, Fugaku with a suggestive smirk on his face. He and Mikoto had had their fair share of clandestine meetings before the boys were born. Mikoto’s face burned bright red as her eyes lit up with realization and horror. She would never unsee the thoughts flashing through her brain.

“U-CHI-HA... SA-SU-KE.” Mikoto stressed every syllable of his name, trying to reign in her temper so she didn’t destroy the house. She didn’t want to imagine her precious baby corrupting innocent little Sakura-chan, or her corrupting him. “Don’t tell me you used times of celebration for…for…that. I taught you better manners.”

“Yes, Kaa-san,” Sasuke looked up at the ceiling, hoping that whatever spirit was tormenting him would hurry up and be done with this humiliation. Itachi let out a snort of laughter, receiving an frigid glare from his mother as he tried to compose himself. Fugaku’s smirk had yet to fall from his face. Mikoto turned her glare to him but he just shifted his eyes towards their bedroom and back to her. Her cheeks flared red , and she took in deep breaths to keep from strangling him over the table.

“In any case, you’re going to be expected to make a few appearances at festivals with whomever you marry; you’d better at least look like you’re enjoying it…without the actual _enjoyment_ part.” Mikoto threatened with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Of course Kaa-san,” Sasuke nodded dutifully not mentioning that he would be doing everything in his power to be out of the village during festivals; he mentally added “hates large gatherings” to his list of requirements for a wife…right next to “hates ramen”. Seeing his mother gearing up for another rant, Sasuke wished he would receive a mission summons to get him out of the lingering awkwardness in the room.

“Now as for you two; you aren’t off the hook,” Mikoto turned to give them a piece of her mind. Fugaku and Itachi sighed forlornly. How did they get dragged into Sasuke’s sex life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.


	11. Chapter 11

Sasuke slid the window open and slipped quietly into Sakura’s office at Konoha Hospital. He looked around at the familiar organization of the place: patient files laid out in order of appointment times overwhelming the counter space, stacks of paper in different trays based on their completion and filing location dominating her desk, pens organized in a jar by their size, frequency of use, and ink level, various energy bars laid out by nutritional content then by her favorite flavor, her favorite toad mug that Naruto had painted for her steaming with a fresh round of coffee. To anyone else, it would look overwhelming to keep track of such miniscule details, but Sakura was nothing if not organized.

It hadn’t taken him or Naruto long to learn not to mess with her need to see everything she owned and arrange it in a certain way. She had packed their mission bags furiously when they were genin, and the one time Naruto had complained about her over-organizing, Sakura had set her first distance record for punching him halfway across the training ground…before she’d even started training with Tsunade. Sasuke learned from the idiot’s mistake and had never mentioned it…even if it did annoy him the way she seemed to constantly nag him about tidying up. He wasn’t a slouch, but any item out of place was a nightmare for Sakura.

The pinkette looked up from the most recent scroll she was writing and smiled, waving him over. He walked over to her desk, glancing at the row of scrolls with his eyebrow raised in question.

“I’m writing up my research findings for the council members. I want to have everything prepared as early as possible,” she explained, setting aside the scroll to dry while she started on the next one.

“Hn,” Sasuke grunted and held out the scroll Ino had asked him to deliver earlier in the day. He shouldn’t have been so surprised to see Sakura still in her office after working the morning shift, but her notorious pulling of extra hours had to be unhealthy at some point. Sakura raised her own eyebrow in confusion at the scroll, until he turned it over to reveal the Yamanaka clan seal.

“Oh! Thanks, Sasuke.” Sakura took the scroll and opened it, scanning the information briefly. “But why are you delivering this for Ino?” Sakura looked up to him puzzled. Ino had said she would deliver the scroll today, but Sakura had thought she’d meant before her shift at the flower shop. To see Sasuke carrying the scroll was quite odd since he rarely interacted with the blonde on his own.

“Shikamaru pissed her off this morning; she came to see me about Kanami,” he shrugged. Knowing that Sakura would expect more details, he walked over to the steaming cup of coffee and took a sip, waiting for her inquiry.

“What do you mean he pissed her off? If she was heading to me before her shift at the flower shop, Shikamaru would never have been up early enough to irritate her.” Sakura set aside Ino’s scroll, listening intently for Sasuke’s explanation. What could Shikamaru have done to send Ino looking for Sasuke, and about Kanami no less?

“Hn,” Sasuke took another sip; he really wasn’t interested in being in on the latest gossip and drama.

“Sasuke. Words.” Sakura bit out. Whatever Shikamaru had done had to be major, and she needed to know about it.

“Tch, she thinks Shikamaru was planning on proposing to Temari at the onsen. She ran into them heading that way.”

“The onsen?! They were going there, together? By themselves? Why?” Sakura implored frantically. She knew Shikamaru and Temari were sleeping together like plenty of shinobi did in their downtime, but how had they all missed that it had turned so serious? She had just told Ino to propose herself. Surely, Shikamaru would have had the decency to give Ino a heads up if he really was planning on proposing to Temari. Then Sakura replayed his words in her head. “How does that equal you getting wrapped into that?”

Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh. That was the key question, wasn’t it? How did he get wrapped into all of this instead of Ino talking it out with Sakura? “Ino found me at the training grounds, wanted to know why I hadn’t broken things off with Kanami yet if I was planning on marrying someone else and why Shikamaru hadn’t told her about his plans with Temari.” Just as Sakura opened her mouth to ask something else, he added: “Sakura, talk to Ino; I’m not getting involved.”

“Ugh, fine,” Sakura crossed her arms and closed her mouth into a pout. For a ninja, Sasuke really was the worst at relaying important information. Then, she sparked up. “Well, Ino is right that you should end things with Kanami soon, given your clan’s decree. Hey! Speaking of your clan, I’m actually glad you’re here.” She stood up and went to her filing cabinet to retrieve 2 scrolls.

Sasuke set her coffee mug down and accepted the scrolls she handed to him. They were on the same official hospital paper of the other scrolls she was writing on her desk, so he wondered if these were meant for his father and the elders.

“I was actually planning on heading to see your father and brother once my shift ended. I know it’s late, but I didn’t want to wait to talk to them.”

“About what?”

“On how I’m going to get the children’s hospital built,” She smirked at him, reminding him of when she’d appeared in his home ready for victory sex. “I need an audience with the Uchiha elders and the only way to get that is to explain my plan to the head of the clan. Will you come with me?”

“You’re determined,” Sasuke smirked at her, admiring the fire he saw burning brightly in her eyes.

“I told you; I’ve figured it out and I’m not going to let those old bastards win. Something tells me the Uchiha clan won’t have a problem with that.” Sakura gestured down to the scrolls in his hand. He shook his head in amusement as he handed the scrolls back to Sakura and nodded. Sakura accepted the scrolls back with a smile and tucked them into her bag.

“Great! My shift is over so I’ll just—”

“Sakura-san!” A nurse burst through the door, searching frantically for the pink haired doctor.

“What is Jun?” Sakura questioned the frightened young man while grabbing her lab coat off its rack. Jun held out a chart to her and immediately began giving her a rundown of the emergency.

“A team of jōnin brought a chūnin team to the gate. All of the chūnin were bloodied and battered. The chūnin squad captain is already dead, one of them is unconscious, and two of them are in critical condition. The ER doctor sent me to get you to prep you for the OR,” the nurse hurriedly informed her. Sakura nodded and turned to Sasuke about to speak, but had to quickly catch the energy bar and soldier pill he tossed at her. Sakura thanked him and rushed out of the room after the nurse, calling out that she would send Lady Katsuyu to him when she had time.

Sasuke closed the office door, making sure that it and the window he’d come in through were secure, then shushinned out of the office.

* * *

Sakura sat in her office, chewing absentmindedly on another energy bar. It wasn’t her favorite flavor, but it had the most sugar to keep her awake for just a little bit longer. If she didn’t eat it, she doubted that her body would even be able to stand. The last soldier pill she’d taken had worked its way out of her system 3 hours ago. Her back ached and her neck was exhausted from holding her hunched position for so long.

36 hours. She’d been in surgery for 36 hours on top of the 12-hour shift she had already pulled. She’d been awake for 48 hours straight. Her body was crying out for sleep, but she couldn’t rest yet. It was stupid, but she wanted to be there when the chūnin woke up.

Their captain was pronounced DOA; they’d lost the unconscious chūnin in theatre to a C5 spinal column fracture that had effectively cut off all signals from the brain to the body. The kunoichi, the girl, had suffocated without her brain being able to tell her diaphragm to continue breathing. One of the chūnin in critical condition would be okay; Sakura’s operating partner had managed to stitch up the bowels before they began leaking deadly bacteria and fluid into the chūnin’s body. That left the other chūnin, the one Sakura had operated on. His lumbar vertebrae had been shattered, requiring her and a partner to completely rebuild his lower spine. They’d each taken 12-hour shifts healing to give their chakra and stamina time to replenish, but they had both stayed in the OR to save time on scrubbing in and progress updates should complications arise. Several of the vertebrae bone shards had pierced his spinal cord, paralyzing him and spilling spinal fluid into his blood. Sakura and her partner had been able to remove the bone shards and use chakra to create a seal around the spinal cord, but it was uncertain if he would walk again. And if he could walk again, he would never take missions or see combat; the strain on his spine would be too great, possibly even fatal.

Sakura pulled out the bottle of sake she kept in a false bottom drawer of her desk. Just like her mentor, a cup of sake could do her good on a difficult night. And the night was only going to get more difficult. They were finally able to pull the chūnin out of a medically induced coma and Sakura was waiting for him to wake up. She didn’t want anyone else to have to explain that for all intents and purposes, his shinobi career was done.

“Sakura-san,” A nurse opened her office door. For the life of her, Sakura couldn’t remember the nurse’s name. Mina, Mia, Mai, something like that. Sakura looked up to the nurse, waiting to hear both the dreaded and good news. “He’s awake,” the nurse confirmed softly.

Sakura nodded and put on a clean lab coat, readying herself for one of the worst parts of her job. She’d already had to inform the families of the other chūnin and console them for their loss; now she had to break the news to a young shinobi.

Sakura followed the nurse to the patient’s room, moved from ICU to a residence stay to free up the bed for more immediate needs. “Has he already been informed of the worst of it?” Sakura asked, both hoping for and dreading the answer.

“Yes. He is not taking it well,” The nurse spoke softly, her head down and her hands clasped in front of her. Sakura nodded again, then walked into the room with a gentle smile on her face. The bright artificial lights shown down on the bed, revealing the chūnin who was quite lucky to be alive; if the team of jōnin hadn’t found his, he would have bled out in the forest. Overall, he’d escaped with the least immediately life-threatening damage, but Sakura knew that that wasn’t a comfort to him right now.

She walked over to his bed and grabbed his chart, re-familiarizing herself with the information she hadn’t been able to fully digest while Jun had prepped her for theatre.

**Name:** Haida, Kurimaru

‘ _Shit,’_ Sakura thought. He was from one of the lesser clans of Konoha.

**Age** : 15

_‘Double shit.’_ He was just a kid. A kid with his entire life ahead of him still. An entire life that had to feel like it was over. Try as anyone might right now to fight against the thoughts that had to be swirling through his head, seeing a future where he wouldn’t be able to do what he’d dedicated so much time and energy towards had to be hard to cope with. It was like looking at herself or Naruto or Sasuke when they were younger: so full of life and dreams and hopes and challenges to get stronger. She knew what it would have meant for them to have that all wiped away. But she couldn’t imagine what it must feel like having to live that.

“Hi Kurimaru,” Sakura spoke calmly, moving to take a seat by his bed. She wanted to give the kid some sense of comfort, waking up in a strange place with little memory of how he got there. “I’m Doctor Haruno.”

“I won’t be a ninja again, will I?” The boy looked out the window at the sun finally disappearing from the sky. He looked weary and tired, so much older than 15, as if whatever had occurred on his last mission had aged him over night.

“Most likely not,” Sakura answered firmly. She could be compassionate, but she refused to sugar coat the situation. He deserved her honesty. “I can’t say 100%, but I can say with a degree of medical certainty. Looking at the injury you sustained, it would take an enormous amount of effort just to get your body walking again. While walking is not completely out of the picture, the physical constraints of your movements would be a liability in the field.”

“So,” He continued looking out the window, but Sakura could see the tears starting to make their way down his cheek. “My life’s over, right?” Kurimaru clenched the bedsheets tightly between his fist. Sakura placed her hand on the bed near him; she didn’t touch him to avoid triggering a violent reaction, but she did want him to feel some comfort.

“You may have a difficult road ahead of you, but your life isn’t over, Kurimaru. There are plenty of options besides just being a ninja,” she tried to assure him. That seemed to be the last thing he wanted to hear. He turned his head to her as quickly as his injured spine would allow and glared at her with furious brown eyes.

“If I can’t be a ninja, what use do I have to my village?” His eyes flashed with rage, but she could see the uncertainty and hurt hidden beneath. He truly didn’t know what to do. And she cursed herself, she didn’t really have an answer. Sakura felt something ugly bubble in her gut, and she thought she was going to be sick. How had they all failed this kid so much that he genuinely believed his only use was as a ninja? Sure, ninja were important, but his life wasn’t predicated on that service alone. She didn’t want to ask, but she wondered if he wished he had died so that at least his name would have been carved on the Memorial stone.

She may not have had the best answer, but she had the only one that mattered.

“You’re alive, Kurimaru; that’s all anyone cares about. We’ll focus on getting you well, then we’ll help you determine your new path. When I’m done seeing that you’re set for the night, I’m going to go tell your parents that you’re awake. I’m sure that they’re going to be so relieved to hear that,” Sakura spoke firmly, trying to break through his dejected thoughts. He looked at her, searching for the truth in her words, then finally nodded. But Sakura could tell that he didn’t believe her. That was ok…for now. He was in shock and deserved some time to grieve and be sad before everyone started to tell him to look on the bright side.

Kurimaru pressed the button to lay his bed down, then pulled the covers up to his nose and let silent tears fall down his face. Sakura’s heart wrenched for the poor kid. She tucked the covers around him to keep him warm, then placed her hand gently on his shoulder. She double checked his IV dosage, making sure that the pain killers would let him rest. Sakura then walked over to the computer and logged his statements to her, flagging him for a mental health check and 72-hour suicide watch. He had lost his taichou, a teammate, and his ability to be a ninja in one fell swoop; she wasn’t about to take any chances with survivor’s guilt. Finally finished with the medical obligations of her job, she walked back over and gave his shoulder a light squeeze.

“You’re going to be alright, Kurimaru. We’ll take care of you,” She spoke gently, then turned the lights out and closed the door, letting him cry out his frustration and sadness in peace.

“Kira,” Sakura spoke as she approached the nurses’ station on the floor.

“Yes, Sakura-san?” Said nurse looked up immediately when she heard her superior call.

“I’m placing Kurimaru on a 72-hour suicide watch, and I want him evaluated for counseling first thing in the morning. Per protocol, I’ll need to rest for 12 hours before I can come back for a shift, but I want those notes documented in his file and waiting on my desk when I return, understood?”

“Of course, Sakura-san. We’ll do our best.” The nurse bowed and began to document her order in Kurimaru’s file. Maybe it was overkill, but Sakura would sleep better knowing that she’d done everything she could.

* * *

She was drained. She really should be at home, but she couldn’t go back to her apartment. She didn’t want to go home to nothing but the silence and her thoughts waiting to engulf her. Sakura sat on top of the Hokage monument, looking out over the village she loved so much. Kurimaru’s words kept replaying on a constant loop in her head.

_‘My life is over, right?’_

_‘If I can’t be a ninja, what use do I have to my village?’_

_‘You’re alive!’_ Sakura wanted to scream to the phantom boy in her mind. But just as the real teenager hadn’t believed her, she doubted the words would calm the apparition.

This was the absolute worst part of her job. When she could heal, when she could make people smile, she felt powerful, invincible. It was like she stared death in the face and won. But when her best didn’t feel good enough, when her best didn’t make everything right, she still felt like the powerless genin she had been, uncertain and unsure… useless. Every doctor knew that they couldn’t save every patient, but she had saved Kurimaru… so why then did it still feel like she’d failed him?

_‘If I can’t be a ninja, what use do I have to my village?’_

Trying to fight off her melancholy, Sakura began running through the treatment plan she would advise for him. Obviously, he would need bedrest for his body to recover from the immediate trauma he sustained, but after that, he would need to strengthen his abdomen, back, and spinal muscles to account for his weakened spine. She’d consult with a specialist and the Ninja Tools department to have him fitted for a brace as he got started. He’d need physical therapy to strengthen his leg muscles too after so long laying down. Maybe she should consult with Ino or Shikaku for an herbal medicine that wouldn’t cause addiction; Kurimaru would need it for so many years, as the injury was bound to ache whenever it grew cold and as his spine compressed with age.

So that was the physical plan… now on to the mental plan. It would need to be extensive, because so much of healing was mental. The hospital could do everything to help his physical body, but the actual recovery was up to Kurimaru himself. It wouldn’t hurt for her to look for Lee and ask him to work with the boy. Lee had been told he would never be a ninja again, and he had proved those doctors very wrong. Of course, she didn’t actually know how extensive Lee’s injuries had been after his fight with Gaara, and Tsunade-shisou hadn’t overhauled Konoha’s medical program yet, but maybe Lee’s story and determination would resonate with Kurimaru. Maybe Lee could give him some of his fighting spirit. But before all of that, suicide watch.

72 hours of constant monitoring was all the hospital could do; any more would be taking valuable nurses and doctors from other critical areas of need. Especially with the jōnin exams coming up, the hospital would need to be ready for any jutsu or test gone awry… or gone right when one considered the aims of the exam. And there were other shinobi recovering from terrible injuries that needed monitoring as well. After the 72 hours, Kurimaru would need regular counseling, not to mention what would be needed if he didn’t open up to his counselor right away. It could take months before he was ready to relive the horrors of his mission and talk about it. It could be months more before he was ready to start talking about how he fit into Konoha now. Months that financially, staffing wise, she knew they didn’t have.

Sakura gritted her teeth and punched the ground, careful even in her distracted mind not to unleash her full emotions on the monument. She wouldn’t have minded putting a crack in the Nidaime’s face after the scrolls she’d read, but the last thing she needed was to explain why the Yondaime’s head had survived years of Naruto’s pranks only to be bisected by her fists. She sighed and gripped the edge of the mountain, weariness tightening its grasp on her body.

A chakra signature appeared on the mountain behind her, flowing gently into the space. The calm presence filled the air with a sense of serenity, juxtaposing her own torrent chakra signature that was inflamed from her thoughts. The figure stayed quiet, looking out over the village as Sakura was. The only noise that could be heard was the two different rhythms of their breathing.

Sasuke remained quiet, letting her gather herself. He’d been briefed on the situation and had gone to her apartment first. Finding it empty and her traps undisturbed, he knew she hadn’t been home and was probably still at the hospital. When he appeared at the hospital, the nurse had informed him that she’d left a few hours before. He’d visited the training grounds and the Memorial stone, places that she always floated too when she needed peace or wanted to be alone. Not finding her there, he cursed himself for wasting time and summoned one of his hawks to scour the village for her. He wondered if he should have checked the bench where he almost deserted the village to follow Orochimaru but knew that she wouldn’t find that place comforting at all. When his hawk had finally returned and relayed her whereabouts, Sasuke had shushinned to the top of the monument, watching the pink-haired woman looking out over the twinkling lights of the village.

It was cold, too cold for her to be at the top of a mountain with the thin jacket she was wearing, but she didn’t seem to notice the weather. If she hadn’t flared her chakra a bit, he would have wondered if she even noticed he was there. He had taken in the flare of her chakra, how erratic it moved around her, and knew that she needed a moment to process; she would speak when she felt she had it together.

“Tsunade-shishou sent you,” Sakura spoke after so long the sky was beginning to lighten. It wasn’t a question. All reports of suicide watch were documented for the Hokage to read. Though they were quite a priority, having to deal with the number of able-bodied shinobi on Konoha’s active roster, Sakura was surprised that her shishou was in the office this late…or this early depending on how one looked at the time. She wondered if he had been on duty or if the Hokage had sent a hawk to him.

“You ready?” He prompted her. He knew that Sakura didn’t like wallowing in her own emotions. She much preferred to handle her grief by getting to work, doing something, making something move. Above all else, she hated feeling useless.

Sakura’s eyes hardened with determination at Sasuke’s prompting. Right. Pitying Kurimaru wouldn’t change anything. He didn’t need her to feel sorry for him; he was going to serve that function himself. What he need from Sakura was her support and strength until he could manage on his own. She clenched her fist and pushed off the monument to stand up. She had work to do. She needed to appeal to Fugaku-san and Itachi-san for an audience with the Uchiha elders.

Streaks of pink and purple began to light the blue sky, heralding a new day. As the sun rose, Sakura looked out over the village glimmering and waking, feeling Sasuke step closer to her. The fabric of his cloak floated in the slight breeze, brushing against her arms and surrounding her with his natural warmth. If all went as she planned, this would be a fitting scene. The man behind her was an Uchiha, and she desperately needed the clan behind her to help Konoha’s children the way Kurimaru needed help now.

* * *

Sasuke knocked quietly on the door to his family home, knowing that his mother would hear it despite the low volume. Sakura stood at his side with her fists clenched; she hadn’t released the tension since they’d dropped down from the Hokage monument and made their way to the compound. Sasuke reached his hand down to wrap around her fist, coaxing her to release the stress she had to be putting on her muscles.

After not long, Sasuke heard faint footsteps coming and unhurriedly released Sakura’s hand. He was surprised to see his father open the door, looking strangely alert for how early in the morning they were visiting. Despite their profession, he and his father were not morning people; their bodies were more inclined to wake up around 9 am. Itachi and his mother were always the early risers, seeming to roll out of bed perfectly groomed and smiling at the possibilities brought forth by a new day. Waking up to their brightness every morning had been utterly annoying.

“Sasuke, Sakura-san. Is everything alright?” His father’s sharp eyes scanned both of their bodies, looking for any trace of blood or dirt. Not seeing anything out of place, Fugaku gave a slight raise of his eyebrow, imperceptible to Sakura, but clearly a question to Sasuke. Sasuke tilted his head to Sakura, and Fugaku turned his full attention to his visitor.

“Fugaku-san,” Sakura bowed deeply. “Forgive me for calling so early, but there is something urgent I’d like to speak with you about.” Sakura tried to keep her tone neutral, diplomatic, but her temper and energy hadn’t cooled in their slow walk through the village. Her determination had only been heated as she walked through the village, smiling to this villager or that who came out to get started on their activities for the day. The stroll intended to give the sun more time to rise for them to meet Fugaku at a slightly more appropriate hour had also given Sakura more time to rehearse and think about her mission. She didn’t want to seem rude, but she didn’t have the patience for pleasantries. Luckily for her, the Uchiha patriarch seemed to share her sentiments.

“Is this a clan matter?” Fugaku questioned directly, noting the ferocity settled on the pinkette’s brow and the way his youngest angled his body towards her.

“Yes, Fugaku-san. I am here under an official capacity as the Director of Operations for Konoha’s hospital.”

“Hn,” Fugaku nodded, and Sakura almost laughed at the stern face and syllable that resembled Sasuke so well. “I’ll alert Itachi; come in.” Fugaku stepped aside, letting the pair into his home. While Sakura and Sasuke removed their shoes, he sent a ferret summon to his eldest, informing him that his presence was needed.

From the kitchen, Mikoto tossed Sasuke a look that wasn’t quite a glare but was obvious that he still wasn’t off the hook so soon. Then her face morphed into one of shock when she saw Sakura behind him. She glanced between the pair, then shot a look of concern to her husband who shook his head.

“Mikoto-san, forgive me for troubling you so early,” Sakura bowed. Mikoto smiled and shook her head, bringing a fresh pot of tea to the table.

“Nonsense Sakura-chan. You are welcome here.” Mikoto poured a cup of tea and served it to Sakura first, who gratefully took the warm liquid. She waited for Fugaku and Sasuke to be served their tea, then took a deep breath, feeling the warm of the green tea filling her lungs with comfort. Her body warmed gently as she sipped the hot beverage, waiting for Itachi to arrive.

Not long after Mikoto had served everyone, Itachi entered, taking off his shoes and joining them at the table. He greeted everyone and gratefully accepted the tea his mother had poured for him.

“I hear Konoha’s hospital has some official business with the Uchiha?” Itachi turned to Sakura. She nodded, redundantly confirming what he already knew from his father’s message.

“Fugaku-san, Itachi-san. I’d like an audience with you and the Uchiha elders to discuss plans for the children’s psychiatric hospital in Konoha.” Sakura waited, watching as both men took sips of their tea. Itachi set his cup down, sending the pleasant sound of tinkling ceramic throughout the room. He placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his linked fingers, assuming the thinking pose everyone in the room was well familiar with.

“If I’m not mistaken, the Konoha council has not approved plans for a children’s psychiatric hospital for us to discuss,” Itachi challenged gently but firmly. Despite the harsh phrasing, Sakura knew that Itachi wasn’t trying to be cruel or rude; he was simply asking the question she knew would be first.

“True the council hasn’t approved of plans… but I’m very thorough in my research, and I believe I’ve found a way to move forward with the hospital that won’t need the council’s approval,” Sakura tilted her chin up in determination and stubbornness. She had to appear rock steady and immovable to convince the clan head and future clan head; if she couldn’t convince them, then there was no way she’d be able to sway the Uchiha elders. Hell, she wouldn’t even get to speak to the Uchiha elders.

“You’ve found a way…” Mikoto raised her eyebrow suspiciously. Of course she liked Sakura, but she wouldn’t let her clan be a puppet against the council. “Legally, I presume?”

Sakura’s face lit up with shock. “Of course legally, Mikoto-san! I would never put the Uchiha clan in danger.” She clenched her fist on the table to keep herself from rising. The wood groaned slightly under the strain. How could she even think that Sakura would dishonor them by asking them to commit treason?!

“My wife asks an important question. The Uchiha have not been a favorite of the village in the past. We aren’t planning to involve ourselves in a contest of wills between what is effectively a village squabble, no matter how noble the cause appears,” Fugaku crossed his arms, evaluating the young woman in front of him. The fire and determination of youth was well and good, but the power of the elderly with a grudge carried far more weight. Konoha’s council was made up of senile bigots who had spent their considerable years amassing power; whatever the girl planned, giving any credence to Sakura’s ideas would put a larger target on the Uchiha’s backs than already existed. They couldn’t accept that unless she had a very well-constructed defense.

“Sakura isn’t one to boast about her abilities without being able to back it up. If she says she’s found a way, she means it,” Sasuke was just barely able to keep the growl out of his voice. Fugaku and Mikoto looked over to him, then shared a look. Annoyance rose on his shoulders that he still wasn’t able to decipher the way his parents communicated with only a look.

“And if she can’t back it up this time, Sasuke?” Mikoto pressed sharply. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The room was growing thick with tension, and Itachi felt it was time he stepped in. Itachi had been observing both his parents’ and Sakura and Sasuke during their test of wills, each raising valid arguments. The Uchiha couldn’t afford to politically isolate themselves, and Sakura had not become head of Konoha’s medical operations by being lax and cutting corners. It was time for her to lay out her plan if he and his father were expected to call an audience with the elders.

“You say you’ve done thorough research,” Itachi addressed their guest, cutting off whatever response his little brother had been about to give. “What have you found then that makes you so certain you can ‘back up’ going against the council’s wishes, as my brother puts it?”

Sakura turned her attention to him, but it was clear that she was speaking just as much to his father and mother. They’d managed to rankle her pride; she would need to have much thicker skin if she wanted to address the Uchiha elders. No doubt they would be contentious from the moment she walked into the meeting room. It was time for him to see first-hand what she was made of.

“Forgive me, but I asked permission from the Hokage to see the archives of Konoha’s negotiations with the clans and the negotiations between clans,” Sakura explained, knowing full well that she was treading on thin ice. Revealing such information to the patriarch and matriarch of the clan could get her and her shishou in a lot of trouble, but the information was her ace in the hole.

Mikoto, Fugaku, and Itachi all narrowed their dark eyes to sharp slits. No critical documentation on the Uchiha clan was kept in the archives, or legible to anyone not possessing the Sharingan, but to be alerted after the fact that someone who belonged to none of the clans and had no official government capacity to access such information had indeed been given access was unsettling at best. Hokage’s apprentice or not, Sakura was still civilian born.

“And what exactly were you looking for in those archives,” Fugaku’s voice came out with devastating chill. Sasuke shifted his body towards Sakura, knowing that his father wouldn’t physically attack her, but wanting to show his support of her.

“I didn’t set out to look through inter-clan negotiations. In fact, I didn’t pull any of those scrolls. I needed to examine the relationship between Konoha’s government and clan governments, starting with Shodaime.”

“And why look at relations between the village and clans when, as my father pointed out earlier, this is a village struggle?” Itachi followed up. He had some idea of the strategy Sakura must have come up with, and he was sure his father did as well, but he still wanted to hear her angle. He was curious just what her plan was that she was so confident with taking on people nearly 3 times her age and with as much more clout.

“Because as you pointed out earlier, the council hasn’t approved plans for the psychiatric hospital, and Konoha’s children, including clan children, don’t have any more time to waste. Clan specific actions are immune from council approval, and the Uchiha are even more uniquely situated, given what I’ve read from Konoha’s _negotiations_ with the clan during the Nidaime’s tenure.” Sakura arched her brow and smiled triumphantly like the cat who ate the cream. She knew that both Fugaku-san and Itachi-san would understand where she was going with her plan.

“Hn,” Fugaku and Itachi smirked while Mikoto smiled, leaving Sasuke a bit confused as to why his family seemed to shift their attitudes all of a sudden. Mikoto stood to collect the empty teacups from her husband and youngest son and poured her eldest another cup. Sakura gladly accepted another cup of tea as well and swallowed it down to hide her nervousness. She pulled out the two scrolls and handed them over to both clan heads.

“These scrolls contain all the research I’ve gathered on the deficit of current mental health services and how it affects our children and shinobi population, including the costs of shinobi deemed mentally unfit to serve on active roster. The scrolls also include estimated initial construction costs and how the hospital would sustain itself. I’ve also spoken to some contractors and asked for draft blueprints of the layout; those should be finished soon. The Yamanaka clan has provided me findings on mental health and its effect on shinobi from their clan archives, and the Nara will be doing so shortly as well. I hope all of this will be sufficient to show that I can in fact back up my request.” Sakura inconspicuously bit the inside of her cheek as Fugaku and Itachi unsealed the scroll and took a look at her plans. Their Sharingans skimmed over the documents quickly, memorizing every piece of information the instant their eyes settled on the characters.

Sakura felt so much riding on this meeting, and it was only the first step with the Uchiha clan. She hid her trembling hands under the table and felt Sasuke cover her hand with one of his own. She didn’t dare look at him, but she felt the reassurance in his touch. Then she felt his hand shift, sliding up her thigh towards the edge of her shorts, and nearly punched him through the shoji wall. The pervert! Feeling her up in front of his family! And yet, when she used her peripheral vision to glance over at him with his head bowed slightly and the faint, upward tip of his lips, it was helpful to remind her to breathe. She took a deep breath, waiting for them to finish perusing what she’d spent so many hours compiling.

Fugaku and Itachi set down the scrolls, having digested enough information to see that, true to form, Haruno Sakura had left little detail to chance. She was incredibly thorough, belaying how important this hospital was to her. She had not chosen the Uchiha on a whim or in the hopes to quickly bypass the council. They both glanced at each other and nodded.

“You’re quite the politician and it is quite the gamble, Sakura-san. You have much faith in the weight of the Uchiha,” Fugaku gave her a small smile. On anyone else, it would have been nothing, but coming from THE Uchiha Fugaku, that small sign of approval meant the world. It was almost as if he’d given her a smile as luminous as the sun. Sakura’s face broke out with a bright smile of her own.

“I didn’t study under Tsunade-shishou for nothing, and it’s a well-known fact that the council knows the Uchiha clan won’t bow quietly.” Sakura declared proudly. After such a terrible day and a half, she was really needed some progress.

“We’ll bring your request to speak at the next clan meeting to the elders. I’ll have one of my crows deliver their decision. Have a write-up prepared for me just in case; if they say no to having you in the meeting, I will deliver your proposal myself,” Itachi gave her a small smile as well. Sakura stood and thanked them both profusely, bowing deeply at her waist to show her gratitude but also to hide the tears that were bubbling in her eyes from the emotional rollercoaster of the last few hours. Both clan heads waved her off lightly, smiles still gracing their lips.

“I’ll walk you out,” Sasuke stood and placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the door. They slipped their shoes on and stepped outside.

“Thank you, Sasuke. I really needed you back there.” Sakura grasped his shirt between her fists and rested her forehead on his chest. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her, holding her steady. Sakura took deep breaths, filling her lungs with his familiar scent.

“I didn’t do anything. That was all you,” He whispered quietly to her, lips brushing innocently against the upper shell of her ear. He could feel her legs trembling from sheer exhaustion as her adrenaline finally gave out, and he tightened his hold on her slim body. He knew if he didn’t send her home, she would collapse from all the energy she’d used first on her hospital shift, then saving the boy, and now negotiating with his family.

“Do you need me to walk you home?” He asked. He started to feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, no doubt from his nosy parents and brother trying to get a peek through the window.

“No,” Sakura shook her head, fighting off a yawn. She’d be fine; she just needed to black out to the world for at least 12 straight hours. Sasuke unwrapped his arms around her and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, waiting until she was looking at him to speak.

“Eat something, and then sleep. No soldier pills,” Sasuke glared at her, barely managing to keep a straight face when she groaned.

“I know,” Sakura grumbled. She really did not feel like going through the effort of making real food, and she was sure she was out of instant ramen. “Geeze, which one of us is the medical professional again?”

“You are, which is why I’m ordering you. Doctors make the worst patients,” He flashed his Sharingan with an arrogant smirk, clearly warning her that he would hypnotize her if it meant she actually ate something before passing out.

“You suck,” She grumbled again, but smiled and nodded as he released her. She waved and began walking towards the entrance to the Uchiha compound.

* * *

“She certainly is a bold one,” Fugaku smirked with his arms folded. He shook his head at his wife’s spying through the window near the front door.

“You don’t think perhaps too bold? Taking on Konoha’s council; they aren’t going to forget that.” Mikoto tried to get a better angle through the window, but Sasuke had strategically blocked her view with his body. She couldn’t see anything!

“Possibly, but we will see how she handles the elders,” Fugaku replied through a yawn. He created a clone to go into his office while he prepared to retire for an early morning nap.

“I must admit; I think this is the only time I’ve ever looked forward to a clan meeting. I am curious how she will handle the elders, and how they will handle her,” Itachi hid his smirk behind the guise of drinking the last of his tea. Fugaku and Mikoto nodded their heads in agreement. It would be an interesting meeting indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.


	12. Chapter 12

Kanami heard the uncharacteristic knock on her door and set her lip brush down gently. Seems he was finally able to use the door rather than the window. She looked at her reflection in the mirror: curled violet hair, shocking teal eyes accented with a wing of black, succulent lips stained with pink. She’d picked out a pastel yellow shirt that wrapped around to hug her bountiful chest and slim waist, then paired it with blue pants that hugged her hips just as well and ended tastefully above her knees with delicate white ruffles on the hem. The yellow brought out both the vibrant colors of her hair and eyes without overpowering them. She looked good. Of course, she looked good; she needed to—Sasuke was here to end everything.

She’d received a message from him via one of his hawks asking when she’d be home midday so they could end things. She’d replied that the day after next would be her day off, and that she had planned to be home for a bit before going out if he chose to stop by or not; she wouldn’t rearrange her schedule to be broken up with. She also wouldn’t be broken up with while looking like a tired wretch. Kanami had decided that she would look her absolute best, as if however the conversation was going to go, she wouldn’t be affected in the slightest. He was going to look her in the eye, see her resounding beauty, and knife her in the heart with his words; shouldn’t be too difficult for a murdering shinobi. Part of her hoped that he would see her and change his mind, ask her to marry him on the spot; his clan symbol wouldn’t look good with the cut of this particular shirt, but she had other clothing items where it would fit nicely. The other part of her laughed at the futility of her sentimental heart. Sasuke hadn’t been swayed once by her beauty. His missive had been very clear that they were over and that ending things in person rather than through a message was just decency. And so, she’d picked out one of her best outfits and had done her makeup; her appearance would be her shield against the heartbreak. She refused to cry in front of him with a fresh face.

Double checking that not a hair or thread was out of place, Kanami rose from her vanity and made her way slowly down the hall to her front door. For how he had dashed her dreams, he could wait at the door for as long as she felt like making him. She opened to see Sasuke standing there as regal as ever in his civilian clothing of a high collared blue shirt with his family crest emblazoned proudly on the back and black shinobi pants. His hair stood at its familiar angles, bangs accentuating the chiseled cut of his cheekbones and jaw. It was almost insulting that he managed to look so good with no effort. It was infuriating that he had put little effort into his appearance when coming to see her, as if breaking a woman’s heart was an everyday occurrence. But more importantly, as if breaking _her_ heart was as trivial as shopping in the marketplace.

“Kanami,” His strong baritone filled her ear. Whereas it usually cultivated desire, today his smooth voice was like the fabled snake whispering lies before it struck with its deadly venom.

“Sasuke,” She replied flippantly. She turned, leaving him at the doorway with no actual permission to enter her home, and walked to her kitchen. She grabbed a teapot and a measured-out packet of tea leaves while listening to the almost inaudible shuffle of him removing his shoes at the entrance. When he appeared in her living room, she held up the teapot.

“Should we continue with pleasantries?” Her lips tipped in a haughty display. Sasuke shook his head; he wanted to get this over with as quickly as she did.

Setting the teapot down, Kanami walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, squaring off against him as she’d seen shinobi do in the exam arena. Sasuke watched as she set her shoulders in a show of strength. As she prepared herself now, he had already prepared for what he should have done months ago. Letting this drag on for so long was his fault.

“I was given my list and my clan expects me to be formally engaged in 2 months. Our arrangement ends here.” Sasuke waited for her to speak. He could admit that he could have some sympathy for her. He had formed no attachment to her, but she clearly had an attachment to him. He wondered if her heart would be more bruised or her ego. Would she be more upset about losing him, or having to start over in her goal of having a shinobi husband with clout in the village?

“So your clan speaks, and you’re going to bow down to them. How well trained you are,” She taunted, hoping that her words would wound him. She cursed herself for sounding more scathing than nonchalant, but she kept her face as pleasant as she could. As usual, he gave her nothing. No remorse. No guilt. No anger. Not even the barest raise of his eyebrow. Just the blank emotionless gaze she knew was characteristic of the Uchiha clan. But she knew he couldn’t be as emotionless as he portrayed himself. She needed to switch tactics, and she knew just what to attack.

“You never had any intention of marrying me, did you?” She continued, faking sadness, though she knew the real hurt would come after he left.

Sasuke prevented the frown from showing on his lips. Now began the rehashing of everything. “You knew this was temporary and that I would follow my clan’s wishes.”

“Right. Of course.” Kanami blinked back the fake tears she could command on cue. She’d perfected crying at the drop of a hat at a young age, after having realized that her parents were more moved by her tears than her fits of rage. Inwardly, Kanami smirked and delivered her chosen blow. “So you’re ending things with Sakura then.”

Initially, he gave her nothing, only staring back with his deep black eyes, but she’d been expecting that. To hurt him, she’d need to keep picking at it.

“No.”

“And why is that?” She pressed, already beginning to hear the irritation in his voice.

“We have a different agreement. This isn’t news to you either.” Sasuke crossed his arms. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Good. He was reacting much faster than even she would have guessed. Kanami twisted faux confusion with haughty smugness into her next words: “If you’re preparing to court another woman, I don’t understand why you aren’t ending things with Sakura too. Seems like it would make the most sense to purge your premarital affairs at the same time. I would think—”

“You don’t need to think. It’s no longer any of your business what I do or don’t do,” Sasuke cut off her words sharply. Whatever Kanami believed he should or shouldn’t do wasn’t any of his concern. The only reason he’d come to the civilian district was because it would have been rude to end their arrangement through one of his hawks or to never see her again; that was the only courtesy he was giving her. He turned and began walking towards the door, done with the conversation that had easily worn thin as trick wire.

Fury heated her entire body. How dare he turn his back on her?! Kanami scoffed in disbelief and tossed her hair over her shoulder. The violet curls bounced down the length of her back. “I pity the poor girl who has to compete with Haruno Sakura for your attention.”

Sasuke stopped and turned back to her. _‘Bingo,’_ Kanami’s mind congratulated her on getting some reaction from him. She’d lament about the pink-haired hag being the one thing to draw such a response from him later. Now, she’d celebrate her victory.

“My wife will have my fidelity,” Sasuke’s voice cut through the air like the lethal steel of a katana. He’d tolerate her hurt; he could understand that. But he refused to allow her to pretend that she had entered into their agreement ignorant of the terms. He was always clear that there was no future in any time he spent with a woman bearing any family name besides Uchiha. _‘Civilian women,’_ his inner voice nearly growled. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to deal with them again.

“Oh, she’ll have your body, but Sakura will have your heart. You should tell that to your little _Uchiha wife_ ,” she spit in a waspish rasp. Some signal flashed in her head, whispered a warning not to cut too deep and risk slicing her own heart to ribbons. As much as she was yelling at Sasuke, when she had time to reflect, she would realize that she was cursing her own stupidity at falling for a man so clearly in love with someone else. She wondered if all of the women who had ever loved Uchiha Sasuke felt as stupid as she did now when he ended things. Had they also so foolishly ignored the standard by which they were measured, thinking that if they just held on long enough, they could dethrone Sakura for his affection?

She pitied his future wife, this woman she didn’t even know. While she had only wasted a year of her life, _that_ woman was bound to live the rest of hers miserably, wanting a man who could never love her, always trying to measure up to the _great_ Haruno Sakura—and always failing. No woman would ever affect Uchiha Sasuke like that pink-haired harpy. They were all fooling themselves to believe otherwise.

Worst of all, Sakura didn’t even see the carnage she wreaked on others.

Sasuke’s frigid tone pulled her out of her thoughts. “My responsibilities to my clan will always come first.”

His patience had run out. He turned and walked towards the door.

Kanami watched him walk away, walk right out of her life without so much as a backward glance. The Uchiha emblem mocking her torment the entire time she couldn’t take her eyes away from his back. It was finally over. Tears started to slip slowly down her cheek like the early sprinkles before a pouring rainstorm. They’d ruin her makeup, she vaguely acknowledged but didn’t have enough energy to care how she would look with streams of black mixing with the tears. She let them fall unimpeded because he never turned around to see.

Her muscles felt weary. The sun streaming through her windows was much too bright. The happy tune of bird caws mocked her despair. Kanami stripped her clothing as she walked towards her bedroom; she’d care later about the mess of each garment lying scattered about. She closed her bedroom door and drew her curtains tight, blocking out the cheery sunlight. She slipped into the cool sheets and pulled them up to her nose. Finally, she let herself cry out her broken heart.

As she cried, her mind flashed through memory after memory of their time together. Her grip on the blankets tightened as she recalled how his hands had felt running through her thick hair. How serenely handsome he was in the moonlight as he slept. The beautiful tip of his lips when he found something amusing. She cried as if the streams of tears would wash away the aching hole in her heart or the barbed wire tightening around her stomach. She sniffed to fight the mucus running down her nose. Her sheets didn’t smell like him, her mind registered, as if he was never there, and that hurt even more; the fact that she had nothing physical to remind her that he had ever been there in the first place, though he had dominated her thoughts as surely as if it had been a physical space.

_That_ brought her to the realization of what had always been there, so obvious that she’d been completely oblivious—Sasuke had desire, lust, but lacked any true passion and yearning for her. There was always a hesitancy, not physically but emotionally. She had believed that was just how he made love or that it would change the more time they spent together—that with all the women clamoring for his attention, he was careful with giving away his heart so early. But now, she knew that she had never felt his passion because he had never loved her. She’d never felt Sasuke’s need or fear of losing her. He was going through the motions the whole time, pleasurable motions, but void of any true love. How had she not sensed all of this before now?

Some twisted part of her mind desired to pour on more misery and she wondered how he touched Sakura. Did he make love to her? Did he kiss her as if he needed the breath from her very lungs to survive? Did he hold her as if she was his only tether to Earth? Was she the only woman to know Uchiha Sasuke’s true passion? Could he even feel love?

Every thought and moment settled like bitter charcoal on her tongue, but she couldn’t cast off the memories. She couldn’t let go of him, even if she now knew that their love hadn’t been that at all for him. Her eyelids began to feel incredibly heavy, even as she already had them closed. She could feel the pull of drowsiness and welcomed the call to avoid all of this pain through sleep. She let her body drift towards sleep, but her foolish thoughts wandered to how she’d even becoming ensnared in his web in the first place.

* * *

Irritation rode high on his shoulders; only his shinobi training kept him from showing his emotions, but people stayed clear of him anyway. It was as if his emotions were projecting a field through his chakra. His fingers itched to expel the energy, so he shoved them in his pockets and walked back towards his home to gather his training gear.

Being on a mission would have given him more peace. His chakra wouldn’t be a dark, swirling, fire in his gut similar to that of his and his brother’s Amaterasu. He could have completely compartmentalized Kanami’s jibes from his mind and focused on his objective. He would have donned his Hebi mask and emersed himself in the shadows of the hunt, the kill or be killed reality that left no room for thinking of anything besides his target. A mission would have been just what he needed. But no, he was stuck in the village until he picked a suitable woman. Why they couldn’t just assign him one like any other clan was beyond him. Heir protocol seemed a flimsy excuse to drive him stir crazy and force him into marriage just to get out of the village again. He technically wasn’t even the clan heir, so the Hokage shouldn’t have been able to initiate the protocol until after Itachi officially took over. All of it was utterly annoying.

He thought of the infuriating scroll sitting on his dresser, taunting him with one form of escape, only to trap him with another. It wasn’t like he would propose and then immediately be sent on missions again; even _he_ wasn’t that boorish to leave his fiancée so soon. He would have to spend time with her, get to know her likes and dislikes, and discuss how they would build a companionable marriage together. They’d need to discuss their ambitions and how they could work together to achieve them. He was prepared for that; he just didn’t want to be so restricted and out of practice when he did enter active duty. Training was the best substitute, but it paled in comparison to the actual demands of a mission, especially at his caliber.

Sasuke looked up and realized that in his irritation, he’d walked much faster than he thought. He expected to pass the village marketplace soon, and yet he was already at the lake where every Uchiha learned to master Fireball jutsu. He walked down to the dock and stared out over the water. When he was younger, he’d spent hours at the lake, trying to match Itachi’s speed with learning and performing the jutsu. It was his first taste of failure, and of his secret rivalry and motivation to be stronger than his brother. When he’d finally mastered the technique, at the same age, Itachi had graduated the Academy. ‘Itachi was a natural. Your path will be a little harder,’ his father had told him. The comment wasn’t meant to discourage him, only to point out that he would be different from his brother. It put a chip on Sasuke’s shoulder nonetheless. He’d practiced for hours, days, until finally he was able to perform the jutsu; the prideful look on his father’s face had been worth it.

How fitting that now, when his mind was troubled and he had a goal concerning his jutsu, his feet would take him to the lake.

He stepped onto the still water, feeling the chill of late autumn seep into his bones though his feet stayed dry. Perfect. He could practice staying warm while simultaneously gathering his chakra smoother for increasing the speed of his hand seals and jutsu. The challenge of focusing on his chakra would help him clear his mind in meditation, and he could leave his irritation in the water. He sat cross-legged, feeling the water move and shift under his weight, sending ripples to the far shores. He balanced his hands on his knees and closed his eyes for concentration. His chakra swirled in the center of his belly, Mind and Body revolving around each other in an eternal dance. He heated his chakra and expanded it from the center to warm his legs, arms, and head. Then he practiced summoning different amounts to break off from the main flow and come to his lungs and throat as he would for a fire technique. He took deep breaths to fill his lungs with the chakra and forced his body to gather it faster but still keep his breaths as deep.

The repetitive movement of the chakra flowing through his body lulled his mind into an eased enough state that he slipped into the meditative trance he was waiting for.


	13. Chapter 13

**One Year Ago**

_Parties weren’t his thing. He didn’t even know why he allowed Sakura to drag him to the rambunctious bar for Shikamaru’s 23 rd birthday. Blue, pink, and yellow strobe lights swirled around the place, flashing brightly in his eyes off their liquor glasses. A horrendous mixture of smells assaulted his nose: spring blossoms, musk, vanilla, metal, cinnamon, sweat, sandalwood, tobacco; all blending from too many bodies packed too close together. Joining the stench was a cacophony of screams, shouts, broken glass, music with the bass unbearably loud. How did anyone find this amusing?_

_How it didn’t overwhelm all of their heightened shinobi senses, he couldn’t understand, but Sasuke could feel a headache coming from the music, or was it the smells, or was it the scowl that he’d kept on his face nearly since entering Shuriken, an almost exclusively shinobi bar in the center of Konoha’s nightlife district?_

_Glancing up passed his grinning idiot of a best friend, he took in Sakura walking back from the dance floor arm and arm with Ino, the arranger of the whole affair. No doubt she’d dragged Shikamaru here under threat of bodily injury for just another excuse to party, but everyone else did seem to be having fun at least. The lights shimmered off of Sakura’s nude dress, accentuating the long line of her sculpted legs in her heels. He took a drink of sake to clear his throat, completely ignoring Naruto’s smug grin._

_“While you’ve had your eyes on Sakura-chan the whole night, someone else has been checking you out,” Naruto whisper-shouted over the loud music._

_“What are you two talking about instead of dancing?” Sakura shouted, leaning over Sasuke’s arm to grab his drink. The brush of her dress’ sequins on his wrist sent an oddly pleasant tingle to his nerves. She downed the entire drink, handing him back the empty glass and smiling, immune to the glare he tossed her. She lightly pushed Naruto further into the booth and sat where he’d vacated on the end of the bench seat. Naruto tossed his arm around her shoulder and grabbed her a shot of some clear liquid that Lee had ordered but left when Tenten called him away, likely saving the entire bar patrons from Lee’s drunken foolery._

_“Teme’s got an admire,” Naruto rub his nose with a stupid grin. Sakura turned and sent him a smug look._

_“Oh really. Where?”_

_“At the bar. Bright purple hair. Her chest is almost as big as Hinata’s!” Naruto motioned towards the woman. Sakura punched his arm and pulled her compact out of her purse, then set it on the table behind a clear shot glass. She angled the compact to get a better look through the cup without having to turn her head to be so obvious. Sasuke glanced down at the mirror. The woman seemingly sat alone at the bar, nursing some dark colored drink. From the way her shoulders hunched close to her ears, it was easy to tell that she wasn’t a shinobi or one of the civilians regularly frequenting bars that catered more towards shinobi clientele. She didn’t seem as inhibitionless as her half-filled drink would imply she’d feel. She seemed more… alert than enjoying herself. She wore a short black dress that left little to the imagination, and as Naruto had pointed out, her chest was nothing to scoff at._

_“She is curvy…” Sakura admitted but paused. Sasuke raised his eyebrow at her, waiting for the rest of her response. She moved the compact to a different angle then studied the woman up and down. “She has a great pair of legs. And probably a civilian,” she concluded with a smirk. He smirked back at her._

_“Why are you two smiling like that?” Naruto narrowed his eyes to a suspicious look. Sakura nearly spilled her drink to contain the burst of laughter, and Sasuke just shook his head._

_“Honestly, how can you be Sasuke’s best friend and so clueless.” She gasped her stomach clenching in pain from her humor. “Sasuke’s a leg man, Naruto.” She calmed just enough to run her foot seductively up the inside of Sasuke’s leg but lost her composure again when he gave her his trademark smoldering eyes and smirked at her. Sasuke grabbed her heel and slipped his thumb to the sole of her foot, rubbing at the pressure point that had to be killing her in those heels. He of course wouldn’t complain about them; he **was** a leg man, and they did make any woman’s legs look good, especially Sakura’s. He set her foot down and grabbed Naruto’s drink, tossing it back while ignoring the blonde’s complaint. He stood from the booth and walked past the woman at the bar and towards the dance floor, disappearing in the thrush of sweaty bodies grinding on each other._

_Kanami looked after him, then subconsciously glanced towards his table. She made eye contact with the green eyes of the woman sitting there and cursed herself for being so obvious with her attention. Uchiha Sasuke hadn’t spared her a single glance all night, but the woman had so easily figured out her motive. The woman gave her a knowing smile and a wink and tilted her head in the direction Sasuke had walked off to. Kanami took a deep breath and stood off the stool, shifting her dress to show off her best asset. ‘Now or never,’ she guessed._

_She walked through the dance floor, careful to avoid grabbing hands and moving hips that would have thrown her off her path. She walked down a hallway to a quieter part of the bar, presumably where the bathrooms were and saw THE Uchiha Sasuke leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. He was waiting for her. He tilted his head, studying her with his piercing dark eyes, and Kanami felt her heart thumping solidly. For a moment, she thought her heartbeat had replaced the bass of the music and that everyone in the bar could hear it pounding away in her chest._

_This just had to be the universe telling her she was on the right path. She and her friends had been talking about coming to Shuriken for weeks, building up the courage to step into a bar meant for shinobi. Shinobi rarely frequented civilian bars, so if the girls wanted to meet one, they’d have to step onto their turf. Tonight had been the night that they were going to finally party with attractive men with well-sculpted bodies, strong hands moving over their curves as they danced, tease the men until they’d beg them to come back the next weekend. But her friends had dropped out one by one with an excuse or reservation. She’d thought of not coming, of waiting, not sure she wanted to go to a new place by herself. But she’d been looking forward to the night all week, and she wouldn’t be deterred. Kanami had put on her best outfit, done her makeup just right, and walked into Shuriken, faking a confidence she didn’t necessarily feel. She’d imagined that some shinobi, handsome and good-natured would come up to her, buy her a drink, and ask her to dance. She’d never imagined that she would be in a dark secluded part of the bar with Uchiha Sasuke; she’d hit the jackpot of expectations, a scenario women only fantasized about. She almost felt sorry for her friends for missing it. But that might have just been more competition for his attention. They would just have to wait for her to regale the story._

_“Uchiha Sasuke?” She spoke in a starstruck voice that was only slightly faked. She knew how to play up a man’s ego, and surely Sasuke would be just as swayed with a girl fawning over him. He stared at her with his eyes still piercing in the dimmed lighting. A stray beam from the dance floor would occasionally slash through their hiding spot and illuminate his sculpted face, revealing his eyes with even more clarity. They were like ebony orbs that saw straight through her; nothing could be hidden from his eyes. Uchiha Sasuke was beautiful, but his eyes—his eyes were captivating._

_He nodded to her. Which didn’t give her much to work with._

_‘Fine, the dark, stoic type,’ Kanami huffed, but didn’t let that discourage her. She kept the amazed tone and look, and continued: “I remember watching your jōnin exams. You were amazing. I knew you’d succeed. So strong.”_

_“Hn, comes with the clan name.” His voice was deep with a mixture of smooth seduction and graveled roughness. He smirked at her. Immediately, Kanami’s inner muscles clenched, and she fought the urge to shift her thighs together to relieve the throbbing. What she wouldn’t do for a night with that voice grunting in her ear._

_“Yes, but I’m sure you’re especially talented, even for an Uchiha.” She twirled a lock of her hair near her breast, being sure to catch the light with her strands to make them even more luminous. His eyes shifted briefly to where she’d directed him, then to her eyes. ‘Got him.’ She dropped the strand and began to walk towards him. Sasuke shifted off the wall, standing to his full towering height. She’d always loved tall men. Uchiha Sasuke was a girl’s wet dream, and she was going to make her dreams a reality._

_Kanami strutted closer, letting her hips sway to attract his attention to her bountiful curves. Her dress hugged her body skintight and moved perfectly with every step. She could see Sasuke’s eyes tracing down the roundness of her chest to the funnel of her waist and to her hips, then finally making their way back up. She stopped in front of him with a sly smile she’d practiced since she’d learned her feminine power. Sasuke’s responding smirk encouraged her to trace her finger lightly over his shirt, just enough pressure for him to feel it, but not enough to leave him satisfied. She started at his collarbone, a whisper of a touch, and moved her hand down his sculpted chest and towards his chiseled abs. Before she could get any lower, Sasuke grabbed her wrist gently, but she could feel the hidden power in his grasp. She shivered inwardly at the strength of shinobi and how controlling he’d be in the bedroom. Clearly, he would be in charge of their pleasure; she liked that. Sasuke easily pulled her in against his solid chest and kissed her. He graced his tongue against her lower lips, and she gave him access immediately. His tongue slipped into her mouth, brushing against her own tongue. She moaned into his mouth as their tongues danced together. Sasuke wrapped his arm around her back to support her against him and splayed his hand between her shoulder blades. Her dress was thin enough that he could feel her body heat easily. He allowed his other hand to roam over her curves. First, he skimmed his fingers over her chest, smirking against her lips when her eager nipples hardened through the delicate fabric of her dress. He circled them lightly, giving just enough and yet not nearly enough. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and massaged it: rhythmically squeezing and lifting in an inward circle._

_Between her thighs throbbed harder and she couldn’t help herself; she moaned at the pure sensation of his touch. Flames of desire burned her skin everywhere his strong hands skimmed over her breasts and down her sides. His hands inched up the hem of her dress, exposing more skin than was decent in the back room of a dance bar. Her body felt on fire, until his hands brushed under her ass cheeks. She didn’t want to have sex…yet. She couldn’t make it too easy; she couldn’t make herself too available. If she wanted to keep Uchiha Sasuke after her, she needed to leave him wanting more._

_She pulled away and Sasuke released her without a sound or hesitation. He stepped back and righted his clothing._

_“I’m not **that** forward,” Kanami looked down, playing up the shyness angle of a respectable woman who had gotten a little too caught up in the moment; luckily, she didn’t have to fake the heated blush on her cheeks. Here would be the test. If he was a gentleman about it, he was worth her time. If he was a jerk who pressed her further, she’d have to avoid him like a disease. She truly hoped he would be a gentleman; it would spoil the fantasy if he turned out to be a sex-entitled asshole. She didn’t know which she honestly expected, but she was happy when Sasuke simply nodded and fixed the hem of her dress. He gave her one last glance, then walked to the hallway entrance back towards the dance bar. _

_“Wait!” She called out before he could exit the dim walkway. He turned to her and arched his brow in what she assumed was a question._

_“Will you be here next weekend?”_

_Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets. “Dance bars aren’t my style. And I never know when I have a mission. Have a good night.” He walked out of the shadows and into the glowing lights of the dance floor section. Kanami waited for a bit, not wanting to be too brazen as to let a whole room of people see her walk out of a secluded area with Uchiha Sasuke. Even if no one was really paying attention, she didn’t want to get a reputation; that would make it harder if she didn’t run into him again and had to try someone new. While she waited, she prayed that she hadn’t messed up her only opportunity with Uchiha Sasuke. ‘No,’ she thought. ‘The gods wouldn’t be so cruel.’ The gods had to have put a plan in motion. It was the only thing to explain their against-all-odds meeting. She’d be able to brag to her friends about the encounter and when she showed up at the bar again, she would have another story of a sensual meeting with Sasuke to tell them of. She wouldn’t need to change plans to some other shinobi and hope he hadn’t seen her with Sasuke._

_When she felt like enough time had passed, Kanami walked out of the dark hallway and back towards the bar counter. Thankfully, there was still a seat open near where she’d been originally sitting. But when she sat down and glanced around as discretely as she could, she didn’t see Sasuke anywhere. She waited a few moments, ordered another drink, but he didn’t appear. She glanced over to his table and caught eyes with the pink-haired woman again who only shrugged. Kanami turned back to the bartender, chewing her lip. Maybe she’d gotten him so hot and bothered that he’d needed to leave to take care of things. Of course, that was it. Taking a deep breath, she drank her drink in two gulps then left enough money on the table to settle her tab. All in all, she’d call it a successful night._

* * *

_Sasuke exited the hot shower, steam billowing behind him like a long cape throughout his bathroom. He was relieved to finally have his body released from the stench of smells and returned to his natural scent; the special issue ANBU wash had disposed of the various different perfumes and colognes easily. He dried off his body and wrapped the towel securely around his waist before grabbing a smaller towel for his hair. The water and shampoo did little to weigh down his gravity-rebellious strands._

_A chakra flare came from his front door and he groaned. He’d had more than enough social interaction for one night, staying long past the hour he’d negotiated to. Not bothering to put on clothes—his guest wouldn’t be there long enough—he walked to his front door and tossed it open. His door opened to reveal Sakura standing on his porch with a devilish smirk. Sasuke’s eyes scanned her form; she still wore the shimmering nude dress with the neckline that veered down to show the tops of her breasts and the matching heels that showed off her green painted toes. Her hair was a tussled mess of fallen curls from her hands running through them and beads of sweat that had yet to be cooled by the night air. Her makeup for the most part had stayed intact, only suffering light smudging of the black kohl under her eyes and patchiness of her lipstick from the drinks she had._

_Sakura’s jade eyes sharpened as she took in his delectable appearance. Rivets of water ran down the trails of his sculpted muscles to the towel slung low on his hips. A tuff of dark hair peaked from beneath the line of his towel. She licked her lips and pressed her hand to his chest. She was sure he could feel her warm chakra as she pressed him back into his house and sent an added burst to push him onto the couch._

_“How drunk are you?” He asked as she climbed on top of him. Muscle memory saw his hands cupping the back of her thighs to stabilize her. She settled on his lap, shifting gracefully to make herself comfortable and trap him beneath the towel._

_“Enough.” She leaned down to his ear. He could smell only the faint trace of alcohol, confirming that she’d been burning off the intoxication during her walk over from the bar. Sakura latched onto the thick cord of muscle at his throat. She suckled the skin while trailing her tongue around the area to encourage a possessive calling card of their exploits. In tandem with her mouth, she rolled her hips slowly, pressing down into his manhood. Sasuke groaned and shot his hand through her hair, gripping the shorn locks. His other hand shifted to the back of her dress and grabbed the shoulder, revealing inch by glorious inch of her creamy skin. She shifted back to allow him to strip her but gave a wicked smirk as she pressed her ass more firmly into his lap, teasing him more than helping him undress her. Her nipples puckered immediately once he revealed her breasts to the air. Sasuke moved down to take the hardened nubs into his mouth, but Sakura used her enhanced strength to keep him against the back of the couch. She gave him a smug look and snaked her body against his, pressing their chest together and bringing her mouth to his ear. She traced her tongue over the shell of his ear, breathing seductively._

_“Still upset about your strike out?” Sakura taunted. She rolled her body against him but held her body weight to prevent her core from fulling pressing down on him through the towel. He growled; Sakura only smiled._

_“Hn, wouldn’t say it’s a strike out if I’ve still got you in bed,” Sasuke smirked at her. Her dress pooled around her middle, having rolled up her legs from her straddling position. He ran his hands over her curves until he settled them firmly at her bare ass cheeks to pull them apart with each roll of her body. He pushed his hips up, pressing their centers together to illicit a filthy moan from his partner._

_“Kiba has a mission first thing in the morning; you’re a good enough substitute.” She pressed them further together. Sasuke let his head fall back against the couch, trying to keep track of the conversation without being distracted by her husky siren’s voice._

_“Don’t know why you’d have your substitute be the better option than your first choice.” Sasuke shifted them quickly with his shinobi speed. He was almost trapped in the damp grasp of his towel but tossed the offending piece to the floor to maneuver her better. Sakura laughed loudly as he rolled her over and dropped her onto the couch cushions. He smirked and held her rolled up dress bunched at her waist. Sakura lifted her legs up together and rolled her body as he pulled the fabric over her hips and up the long expanse of her legs before tossing the useless garment aside with his towel. She was about to lower her legs when he held onto her ankles with one hand._

_Sakura shrugged nonchalantly. “Guess I have to settle; music and drinks make me horny. Now, let’s use that mouth for something more productive Uchiha.” Sakura’s tinkling laugh rang through his home. He’d blame the drinks from earlier for how the sound warmed him and the atmosphere._

_“Bossy.” He traced the long line of muscle from her calf up to her ankle. Sakura bit back a moan as her nerves sparked in response to his heated touch. Her core clenched to send her sticky essence oozing out of her center, but Sasuke kept his attention on her legs. He brushed his finger over the delicate strap of her shoe but didn’t undo the buckle keeping the heels on her feet._

_Sakura playfully rolled her eyes at his clear focus on her long legs. “Kinky,” she teased, only to be met with a nip of his teeth to her calves and a tantalizingly smug look. Finished with foreplay, he wrapped his arm around her legs and lifted her lower body off the couch. Using his free hand, he lined his manhood up with her entrance and thrusted, entering her in one smooth movement. Her inner muscles widened deliciously. Sakura closed her eyes and gripped his thigh as her body quivered with his sure movements. Her breasts bounced with each roll of his talented hips and her toes curled from the sheer pleasure of it all. Sasuke set her legs on his shoulder and leaned down to add the tingling stretch of her hamstrings to the pleasure of his manhood stretching her slick core. He grabbed one of her breasts with his hand and squeezed, closing his eyes to focus on bringing them both towards their precipice._

* * *

_Kanami was there next week in one of her best outfits: a deep purple shirt and pants combo that contrasted beautifully with the violet of her hair. She waited nervously, trying not to be so obvious that she was waiting on him, but her eyes flickered back to the door what felt like every 5 minutes. Multiple men came up to her; they asked her if she wanted a drink, if she wanted to dance, if she wanted to get out of the crowded bar and go home with them, but she shook her head. Each time they asked, she replied that she was only here for some time with herself, which was utterly stupid since she needed to have a backup plan in case he didn’t show. And of course, that night he didn’t show. Against the sinking feeling of her heart, Kanami tried to tell herself that it was alright. As she cleared her tab with the bartender, she reminded herself that all good things were worth the wait. Walking home from Shuriken, she had refused to lament the waste of such a stunning outfit. Undoing the pins in her hair, she’d tried not to feel so discouraged; he had told her after all that he probably wouldn’t be there. But after telling her friends about her heated make-out session with Uchiha Sasuke in the darkened alcove of the bar, she’d spent the whole week waiting for their next encounter. She crawled into bed, shaking off the worry and doubt; foreplay was just as key as the main event. This foreplay of waiting for him would make it that much sweeter when he told her he wanted her for his own. And he would want her; she’d make sure of it._

_He was there the week after, celebrating one of his shinobi friends’ birthdays. The birthday boy seemed to be the loud obnoxious blonde… Naruto, if she remembered correctly. He looked like the boy that every adult had warned her to stay away from when they were children, but the only off-putting thing about him was how loudly he yelled, even with the already ear-piercing volume of the music. Sasuke seemed a cross between miserable and amused: scowling deeply when the blonde spilled some drink or another but giving a fonder expression when the blonde turned to another member of their party._

_Kanami had tried to be discreet with her staring. It had been hard to take her eyes off of Sasuke when he’d walked through the door with the rosette draped over his arm. Kanami had studied her much more than the night she’d first met Sasuke, sizing her up. She was pretty, not beautiful, but her coloring was a point in her favor for its unusualness. Her curves were nothing at all that could compare to her own. Her toned arms and legs gave away her profession as a shinobi, and Kanami could bet her almost flat stomach could be attributed to that as well. ‘Is that the kind of girl he likes?’ Kanami had wondered but chided herself when she remembered how Sasuke’s hands had roamed all over her body in the backroom. It had been she who stopped their interaction, so Sasuke had definitely liked her figure; the pinkette didn’t seem like someone she needed to worry about so much. Her mom’s adage about scowls giving wrinkles played in her head and she had eased her face._

_Besides, for whatever odd reason, the woman had untangled herself from Sasuke almost immediately after entering the club and walked towards a man with scruffy brown hair and purple triangle marks on his cheeks. She’d twirled her hair and swayed her hips in an indiscrete manner that had nearly made Kanami roll her eyes; the woman was so obvious. She had then sat on the table in front of him with her legs crossed to reveal the skin of her upper thigh. Kanami had blanched at the slit in the pinkette’s dress, so high the garment could barely qualify as a dress to begin with. What the pink-haired woman even saw in the brown-haired man over Sasuke, Kanami would never know. Sasuke was absolutely perfect. Still watching them, she reminded herself that she had to be careful about being so obvious with her own distain; from the way Sasuke had held onto the woman, it seemed like his friend had a lot of clout and could easily sway his opinion._

_The pink-haired woman had grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him out of the booth. She walked over towards the dance floor but before disappearing, she had glanced over to where Kanami sat and smiled, turning back to Sasuke. He had looked over to her too, but she couldn’t see his reaction because she had shifted her gaze to the other side of the room, hoping that he hadn’t seen her staring at him like a love-struck puppy. She would strike out immediately if he thought she was already all over him… which she was, but he couldn’t know that._

_Now, Kanami turned her gaze back to his table, pretending that she had just been scanning her surroundings and happened to notice him. She gave him the perfect smile, not too wide, but not too shy either: seductive, come hither, clear that she was interested, but that he would have to make the move. Kanami knew that a guy like him loved being in charge. He wanted to hunt, and she could play along._

_The pink-haired woman and the guy with triangles on his cheek walked off to the dance floor, disappearing in the sea of sweaty bodies._

_Kanami looked back to Sasuke’s beautiful dark eyes, caught in their illustrious depth. It felt like the entire bar disappeared, leaving only them and the rhythmic beat of the music. Would this be what it was like when he made love to her? Would the only thing she see be him moving above her? Sasuke gestured to the backroom, and she nodded. Two weeks had to have been enough time for him to think about her, right? She’d certainly been thinking about him._

_Kanami stood, making sure that her body was at the perfect angle for him to see all that she had denied him weeks ago. She dropped enough ryo on the counter to cover her drinks for the night, then walked towards the backroom. Sasuke waited a moment, careful not to make it too obvious because he had no desire to hear Naruto’s mouth tonight, then followed her._

_“Thought this place wasn’t your style,” She gave him a flirty wink as soon as he appeared in the dark hallway. He shrugged and glanced back towards the dance floor._

_“They wouldn’t let me miss it apparently.” He turned back towards her. Holding to his promise to Sakura when he informed her he had a mission, he’d finished in time to make it back for Naruto’s birthday. He would have preferred to miss the bar scene again, but to drag the mission out longer than the predicted week would have been an insult to his abilities, and Naruto would have mocked him for days; Sakura’s threat of bodily harm had also played a significant role in the mission’s swift completion. Sasuke had felt this girl’s eyes on him since he’d walked in, and Sakura had quickly alerted him that “his admirer” was back. He and Sakura had already had their usual post-mission meet up, so with the edge taken off, he was more inclined to play whatever game this girl had in her head._

_Seemingly over her previous reservation, she stalked over to him with the sway of hips every girl seemed to master early on in their pursuit of a partner; it was simple but effective. He let his eyes travel appreciatively down her figure and the dark blue dress she’d chosen to wear. She wrapped her arms around his neck and purred: “Well I’m glad you came.”_

_He slipped his arms around her waist to support her, then leaned down to kiss her. Her lips were warm and smooth, plump in a way that had him imagining them wrapped around his cock. He walked her backwards, pressing her lightly into the wall; his first instinct was to put his hands on the wall, but conscious of her previous hesitancy, he didn’t want to cage her in or make her feel trapped. Instead, his hands skimmed over her breasts and down to the hem of her dress, waiting for her to give him any signal that she didn’t want to continue. She pressed her lips firmer into his and ran her tongue over his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to her, but focused more on reading her body language: her back was arched towards him, her breathing was relatively even given the restriction of oxygen from their kiss, her muscles were loose rather than tensing for confrontation. All were signs that, for now at least, she was willing._

_Kissing Sasuke was amazing. She’d nearly fainted when he backed her against the wall, pressing his solid body into her. She prayed he didn’t feel the trembling between her thighs, or maybe she wanted him to know his effect on her? She ran her hands down his back, feeling how each muscle moved and jerked under her touch. Kanami had almost lost herself completely in the warm touch of his fingers lifting the hem of her dress, until he pulled back from her._

_“What’s your name?” He asked her in a husky voice, clear that she’d had the same effect on him as he’d had on her. What did it matter what her name was? They could get to that in the morning when she woke up in his bed._

_“Kanami,” She opted for a breathless whisper to conceal her frustration at the pause._

_“Kanami,” her name rolled off his tongue like honeyed wine; she was certain she never wanted to hear anyone say her name again to preserve the sound. “If you want to do this, I need to make two things very clear.” He stopped. It took her a second to realize that he was pausing for a response that she wanted to hear the conditions. She nodded, almost dumbfounded._

_“One: Sakura and I have a sexual arrangement until I’m engaged; that’s business.”_

_‘Sakura?” she thought puzzled, then realized that he must have been talking about the rose-haired woman from earlier._

_“Two: my clan expects me to marry a suitable woman from the clan. Sakura and I have talked about both of these things. Can you accept them as well?”_

_Kanami kept the shock from her face. This wasn’t at all how she expected this to go. He was supposed to be all over her, thinking **only** of her. Maybe she needed to leave and let him want her more. But, she inwardly groaned, she’d spent so many nights pleasuring herself to the thought of him; it would almost be cruel to deny herself this. She worried her lip, partially an act to string his anticipation, and partially because she was thinking of how she’d maneuver with the added trouble. Vaguely, she thought she remembered the heir to the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Itachi, making some declaration of love for a woman and refusing to marry anyone else. That could work as a precedent later down the line when she had Sasuke in her grasp. If she said ‘no’ now, she risked losing her only chance to him. She would have to start over with another shinobi. Kanami mentally took a deep breath and relaxed her thoughts. She’d need to take things one step at a time. ‘Suitable, huh? I can work with that.’ She would just need to make sure that he found her suitable in time._

_“Business and settling down. I got it; I didn’t come here tonight for a marriage proposal,” Kanami gave him a saucy, playful look. ‘We’ll get to the marriage proposal part later.’_

_Sasuke scanned her eyes, wondering if she truly understood the arrangement. He had no problems spending time with her, but at the end of everything, he had to follow his clan’s edict; Itachi and Izumi depended on him. He thought of saying more, but mentally shook his head, deciding against it. Kanami was a grown woman; she could make her own decisions._

_“Your place or an inn?” He asked her. Even if he’d wanted to bring her back to the compound, he knew nothing about her; clans didn’t bring outsiders into their compounds without a very good reason. The Uchiha were no exception to this._

_Inwardly, Kanami scowled. Was he going to insult her by not bringing her to his house? Fire heated her skin that had nothing to do with his hands. She was about to demand he bring her to his house then stopped. If he brought her to his house, she would have to travel back through the compound in the morning wearing her clubbing attire, definitely not something she would want his family to see. She didn’t know much beyond the superficial of the shinobi world, but she did know that the Uchiha were traditional, and seeing her do the walk of shame like a red-light harlot was not going to convince them that she would be an appropriate choice as Sasuke’s wife down the line. They needed to believe she was pure, refined: a lady. This might just work to her advantage. She could ensnare Sasuke with her body while also keeping a sparkling reputation for his clan._

_“My place,” she grinned, more from her plan than actual joy at the choice. Sasuke nodded and arranged the hem of her dress to modest length. He grabbed her hand and walked back through the colored lights of the dance floor. Kanami would admit that she was rather shocked he didn’t seem to be averse to someone seeing them._

_Sasuke glanced over to the Konoha 12’s table, making sure that they hadn’t managed to destroy anything in the time he’d been gone. He caught Sakura’s eye, who only gave him a salute with her sake glass and turned back to Kiba, who he knew didn’t have a mission in the morning. She flashed the Inuzuka a bright, hungry smile and shifted her foot against his leg. Sasuke knew that look well, and Kiba seemed to know she was ready to get out of the club too since he pulled out his wallet. He tossed a few ryo on the table and slipped his finger up the muscle of Sakura’s leg with a smirk. Kiba was only spared from death when Hinata caught the direction of Naruto’s glare and turned him around gracefully, striking up a conversation with Shikamaru._

_‘Good luck,’ Sasuke shook his head and walked towards the exit with Kanami in tow._

* * *

Kanami pounded her fist into her pillow and flung it to the floor. The fabric had grown uncomfortably sticky with all of the tears she’d spilled. She rolled over and tried again to sleep, praying to whatever god that would listen to let her fall into a deep, Sasuke-less, black void of slumber. This time they granted her wish.

* * *

Growling at his lack of concentration, Sasuke got up from the lake and continued his walk home. He’d made the rest of the journey on autopilot, more irritated with himself than when he’d left Kanami’s house and wound up at the lake in the first place. Upon entering his home, he went straight to his bedroom and scrounged up his training gear; Itachi was better company than his own thoughts, and a quick spar was bound to put him in better mood as he could exorcise the irritation from his body. He slammed the drawer a bit to forcefully and knocked the scroll to the ground, sending it rolling across the floor until it finally landed with the bright red wax pointing up to the ceiling. Sasuke walked over to the paper and picked it up. If he could have used Amaterasu, he would have incinerated the devious piece of paper pretending to be an innocent message. He traced his thumb over the wax seal, registering every dip and ridge from the imprint of his father’s and the elders’ stamps. Part of the wax at the top had flaked off; he ran his thumbnail over the area and flecked off a bit more.

Shaking his head, he set the scroll back on his dresser, grabbed Kusanagi, and walked off to find his elder brother.

* * *

**_End of Month 1_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Month 2_ **

* * *

“Mikoto’s boy sure turned into a fine one,” an old Uchiha aunt “whispered” to her companion.

“Mmhmm. Good genes the main family has. Whoever he marries will have to be quite a beauty or she’ll feel out of place for sure,” her companion responded back.

“If I were 30 years younger, I’d give him a night to remember. With all that shinobi training, he would need the stamina,” The first aunt cackled loudly.

Sasuke turned and nodded to the two old women, acknowledging that yes, despite their attempts to be secretive—i.e., no attempts at all—he had heard their conversation. Considering the age of the two women, they probably did believe that they were whispering, not shouting across the café table to each other.

The aunties smiled with no shame and waved at him as he passed them in the compound marketplace. He let a small smile tip his lips and continued walking. As annoying as having so many aunts who pinched his cheeks, stroked his “big, strong muscles,” and always questioned him about his dating patterns could be, they had known him all his life; it was almost their job to embarrass him by now. He’d been dodging offers of introductions to this niece or that cousin, or a daughter for years.

Further into the marketplace, Sasuke examined a fruit stall, picking up a few tomatoes to check them for any blemishes. Finding them perfectly ripe, he dropped a few ryō in his aunt’s hand while she placed his prize in a cloth bag for him. He nodded his thanks and moved down a few stalls to grab a bag of rice and rice flour to refill the stock he always kept in his kitchen. He continued through the market, nodding to his family members as he went to collect onions, cucumber, squash, and other vegetables he regularly purchased. Mentally ticking off everything on his list, he decided he would grab the meat and fish last to make sure it stayed fresh, not rotting as he walked to get the rest of his goods.

Grocery shopping was in some ways comforting in its mundaneness. His list rarely changed, and he obviously knew the compound’s market like the back of his hand. He stopped by the same stalls, said ‘Hello’ to the same family members, he had even timed it well to avoid the biggest crowds. It allowed him to let his guard down and the tension to sink out of his muscles…usually. But today, he had a follower who was making his leisurely trip into an annoying waiting game. He continued his routine but wished his follower would hurry up and reveal their purpose so he could enjoy what was left of his outing.

His follower moved from stall to stall, faking looking at something while he could still feel their eyes on him. They were obvious in their pursuit, clearly expecting him to notice them; their chakra wasn’t even concealed in the slightest, allowing him to read the more playful nature rather than malevolence.

Finally, while he examined the eggs, his follower revealed herself by slipping her arm into the crook of his. Sasuke turned his head, glaring down at his older cousin, Ranma, who only looked up at him with a brilliant smile. He slipped his arm out of hers and turned back to pay for the eggs, then walked towards his next stall. Ranma pouted and tossed her mid-length black hair over her shoulder.

“Oh come on, Sasuke-kun. Everyone’s talking,” She walked beside him, undeterred by his chilled reaction.

“Everyone is always talking Ranma; they’re family,” he responded, deadpanned. He knew exactly what she wanted to talk to him about, and he didn’t want to deal with it.

“Well yes, but this time they’re talking about you, dearest cousin.” Ranma pretended to absently mindedly pick up a trinket. He knew she was truly giving some dramatic pause for him to ask what had fascinated everyone about him; he remained silent. When he didn’t give her that satisfaction, she continued as if she’d never halted for his curiosity. “We’ve heard that you broke up with the civilian. Good. You only have this month and next to make your selection, so you don’t have much time left. _Everyone_ is wondering who’s on your list, who you have your eye on. The elders are being unusually quiet, and you haven’t made any attempts to spend more time with one woman over another, so you aren’t helping the gossip either.” She studied Sasuke’s profile: the elegant slope of his nose, the sharp angles of his cheeks and jaw, the broad expanse of his shoulders blending to the sculpted chest; he wore the high-collared shirt of the Uchiha clan _very_ well. Ranma mentally shook her head; it was almost a pity she was already married.

“You’ll know when everyone else does,” Sasuke brushed her off, hoping she would get the hint. She did not. Ranma fell into step with him as he walked towards the meat stall to finish his task.

“My money’s on Reina. My sister’s strong, a good cook, _very_ flexible,” Ranma wagged her eyebrow suggestively. “But most importantly to you and the clan, she’s intelligent.” She leaned onto his arm until she was nearly plastered against his skin. “If you were thinking of my sister, you’d let me know first, right? It’s only tradition that you ask our parents for permission.”

Sasuke inwardly sighed. He couldn’t remember an actual conversation he’d ever had with Uchiha Reina and yet here her sister was, already at asking permission for her hand. He didn’t have anything against Reina; he knew that she was intelligent and had awakened her Sharingan as a genin; that wasn’t exactly saying much since all of the women on his list had to be intelligent and had to have extensive practice wielding their Sharingan. She would need something else, some…spark to make her stand out to him.

“Ranma, if your sister is on my list, I’ll consider her,” Sasuke faked capitulation, trying to get her to go away. When the time came, he’d consider every woman on his list and narrow them down with a meeting or two until he found the best one. It wouldn’t take long, and he didn’t feel the need to distract himself with the list until absolutely necessary—now if only he could stop his gaze from locking onto the ominous scroll nearly every night. They reached the meat and fish stall and thankfully, Ranma seemed satisfied enough with his answer to leave him be.

“Excellent. Glad we had this little chat, Sasuke-kun. I hope to see you at our parents’ home soon,” Ranma pinched his cheek playfully and walked off towards the residential area, leaving him rolling his eyes at her back. So much for a mindless day of running errands.

Once he stepped into his home, Sasuke made quick work of putting the groceries away and set the rice boiling. He took out two of the fish, salted them, and skewered them on wet bamboo sticks before setting them on the grill to roast. As he set about chopping vegetables, he moved the boiling rice off of the heat to finish steaming. After his midday meal was prepared, he took his plate to the table and sat down among the stacks of police academy applications he was still running through.

He’d already finished with the first round of scrutiny, selecting 56 candidates who would enter the academy immediately based on their application rating score. Of the 56, 20 were non-Uchiha whose resumes were impressive and filled a need his father had pointed out while tasking him with the selection process: stronger taijutsu users, kunoichi, shinobi with nature releases that would complement the Uchiha’s affinity to fire style, those with sensory or tracking abilities. The 36 Uchiha applicants were a blend of younger shinobi interested in the force and well-established shinobi who sought to make a transition in their career. Thankfully, Sasuke didn’t see a trend towards more kunoichi shifting their skills like Hanui in hopes that they were fiancée prospects, though it wasn’t fair to label that as her only motivation for switching paths…even if she would have been better suited for ANBU; she could have just as well been uninterested in becoming a sensei or in the darkness required of ANBU. Many who stepped into that world were consumed by it. ‘ _Or_ ,’ he thought, taking another bite of his meal, _‘she may not have wanted to be involved with some of the more… ‘seductive’ elements of missions ANBU kunoichi were assigned to.’_ Maybe he’d talk to her about her choice after her admittance.

He picked up the next pile of applicants, those whose skills had not progressed to the level required for the police force, and began writing notes of rejection—not a fun experience, but one that became easier each time he wrote the familiar characters; in total, 40 applicants would receive letters of rejection. They would be able to submit an application again next year, after they had taken time to train their skills. That left the final pile: those in the middle. The pile was the largest with 70 applications, which was both a positive and negative. It was good that more applicants were not outright failures, but having so many in the middle meant that he would have to go through another round of scrutiny. They would also need to administer a test to evaluate the applicants’ skills more thoroughly.

Sasuke set about arranging the 70 applications into three piles based on their skill rankings. After he had the piles organized, he would then place them in evenly balanced pairs for their examinations. Once each pair was assigned, he would show his father and Itachi the combinations for approval or final revisions and then examination scheduling. It would take time, but he would do his duty with the same diligence that he carried out any mission; he was the heir to the Uchiha clan after all.

* * *

‘ _Nothing here,’_ Sakura moved her hands slightly to the left. The anatomical structure was all correct; her chakra didn’t flow over any bumps or protrusions as it moved from the right ovary to the uterus. She felt over the womb, examining the shape and space of the muscular organ which felt typical. The uterine wall was free from protrusions, cuts, or thinner areas of tissue, and Izumi had reported no lower abdomen pain besides what regularly accompanied her menstruation. Sakura moved one hand to the left ovary and the other back to the right for reference to look for symmetrical development. Both were the same size, and the right was just as smooth and developed as the left was. Anatomically, everything was as typical as a medical diagram.

Letting her chakra fade, Sakura pulled her hands away from Izumi’s womb and shifted back into her chair. Izumi sat up, pulling her purple shirt down to cover the exposed skin of her stomach. While she righted herself, Sakura gave her a soft smile and walked over to the doctor’s desk to update her notes.

“Everything seems alright. My chakra didn’t detect any abnormalities in your womb or ovaries, which means we can cross physical deviations off the list. I looked back through your previous medical notes and your weight is within the typical range for your height, age, and activity level. You told me that your menstruations are quite regular in time and duration. With no abnormalities there, it’s likely that we can cross off a hormone or chakra imbalance.”

Izumi nodded, flicking the imaginary dust off of the exam table. She felt some relief at knowing there wasn’t anything physically or hormonally wrong with her; she’d admit she’d been worried that Sakura would diagnose her with some terrible condition of which infertility was only a side effect. What if she had told her something like she only had a few years left to live? Ridiculous, Izumi knew… but the fearful thoughts had still run through her head. But if she was physically alright and nothing in her hormones was a cause of concern: “If that’s so, why do you think we’ve struggled for so long?”

“Too soon to say; I still need to examine Itachi. I’ll look at the physical and hormonal structures of his body just like I did yours, and then I’ll be able to make a better hypothesis.” Speaking of Itachi, Sakura desperately wanted to ask about the elders’ response to her request, but it would be entirely unprofessional. Izumi was here for her medical expertise, not to be bombarded with questions about clan affairs. Inwardly, she sighed; she would just have to be _patient_ —a character trait she would admit she needed to work on. Finished recording her notes for future sessions, Sakura flipped through her calendar to find Izumi’s next appointment and scribbled it neatly onto a reminder card. For good measure, she wrote one for Itachi’s appointment as well. Sakura walked back over to the examination table to hand the cards to Izumi.

“Itachi’s appointment is soon?” Izumi shifted off of the bed and accepted the appointment card for their next meeting. She looked at her information, memorizing the day and time quickly with her Sharingan, then shifted the card behind to look at Itachi’s reminder.

“Yup, next week in fact. We’ll take a few samples of his ejaculate to examine them for typical development. I’ll have the lab reports evaluated before your next appointment, so if the both of you would like to come, I can give you an explanation of the finds and we can formulate a plan then.”

“Right. Thank you, Sakura. I’ll see you soon.” Izumi made to leave but a light tapping sound at the window stopped her. A black crow with brilliantly dark feathers settled on the window seal, tilting its head this way and that. “That looks like one of my husband’s crows.” Izumi moved to the window and looked to Sakura who nodded. She turned back to the window and lifted it, allowing the bird to hop in. It rubbed against her hand in familiarity, confirmation that it was in fact one of Itachi’s summons, then flew past her, landing on Sakura’s shoulder and holding its foot up to deliver its master’s note. Izumi smiled fondly at the dutiful bird waiting patiently for Sakura to untie the message and open the tiny scroll. She watched as Sakura chewed her lip while reading the information.

“Not good news?” Izumi asked with a worried expression. Whatever her husband’s note said didn’t seem to bring Sakura much comfort.

“Honestly I don’t know,” the doctor looked up. “Did Itachi tell you about me visiting him and his parents?”

Izumi nodded. “I am the future matriarch, so I have to know these things too,” she replied, then noticed the look on Sakura’s face: a high blush and look of shame. Recognizing her blunder, Izumi waved her hands in front of her face in apology. “I didn’t mean it like that! I only meant that Itachi filled me in on your request after the meeting, not that you had done anything wrong by telling him and his parents without me.”

“Right, makes sense. I’ll admit, I’m not well versed in clan protocol.” Sakura tried not to feel embarrassed about her lack of knowledge. She’d never felt bad about not belonging to a clan, even with her Academy year being made up of mostly clan children, but she also couldn’t afford to make some error out of ignorance that offended anyone’s position.

“Don’t worry. Mikoto-san had to teach me _everything_ about the political workings of the clan and being a matriarch. I had to start taking notes to remember it all,” Izumi gave a self-deprecating smile in hopes to relieve Sakura’s panic. “So, what does his message say?”

“Only that he wants to meet with me. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.” Sakura passed the note over to Izumi for her to read.

Izumi scanned her husband’s impeccable handwriting and scoffed, shaking her head. “That man can be so vague sometimes. I’ll go with you. Maybe I can keep you from freaking out on the way.”

Sakura nodded and accepted the note back from Izumi. “Thank you, Izumi; that would be nice.” She checked her schedule, seeing that only a short check-up remained for the day. She commented about having another doctor take over the appointment, but Izumi shook her head, saying that she had no qualms with waiting for the appointment to finish. Sakura thanked her again and got ready for her check up on a genin who had sliced their hand open while working on a new shuriken trick. Izumi left the pink-haired doctor to her work, smiling as she walked out to the waiting room.

* * *

“Have you ever been to Kaizu-oji-san’s dango shop, Sakura?” Izumi made polite conversation as the two women walked through the Uchiha compound. As they passed, children chased down the street to the shouts of warning from shopkeepers and parents. Many turned and bowed their head in respect to Izumi, and while she nodded back gracefully, she didn’t take her attention off of her companion. Sakura shifted her own eyes back from the bookstore window she’d been perusing and shook her head.

“I’m not in the compound very long when I need to visit Sasuke—”

“And he doesn’t like sweets. Such a strange little brother I have,” Izumi laughed. “Between you and me, if Itachi could have every meeting with a plate of dango from our uncle’s shop, he would. Sometimes it’s hard to see how those two are even related.”

“Itachi-san does seem much cooler,” Sakura smiled. Izumi coming with her was really a good idea. The woman had such an easy presence that disarmed nervousness or discomfort. Through their walk, she’d kept the conversation on light topics such as the jōnin exams, the upcoming Winter Festival, Naruto and Hinata’s wedding, nothing really of consequence that allowed Sakura to take a deep breath before approaching the soon-to-be clan head.

“Don’t let him fool you; my husband can be quite a dork. But don’t tell him I said that.”

“Secret’s safe with me.”

Izumi smiled at the younger woman and turned into the dango shop. Seated at his usual booth inside when the weather was too cold, Itachi nodded to Sakura and his wife. He’d known that Izumi’s appointment was around the time he’d received word from the elders and sent his crow to Sakura, so it was no surprise to see them arrive together. The women ordered their treats at the counter, then walked over and took a seat across from him. Itachi poured a cup of tea for his wife, then held the teapot up in offering to Sakura. She nodded, grateful to have something to wrap her hands around, both to warm them up and so she wouldn’t fidget during their meeting.

“Itachi-san, thank you for inviting me to meet with you. To be honest, I didn’t think I would hear from you within the week of my initial request.” Sakura accepted the teacup with a nod of gratitude. She took a sip of the heated brew, waiting for his reply. Just as she expected, the tea coated her throat and warmed her body from the inside out, giving a pleasant hum to her chilled bones.

“The clan meeting will take place in two days; the elders are quite efficient when they wish to be. And we are aware that Konoha’s next council meeting is approaching as well. I assumed that you would want to have an answer before then either way; you seem like someone who would like to know which of your plans you’ll need to go with.”

“You already assumed I had back up plans?”

“Of course. This is not a spur of the moment request, as you have already shown us with the depth of your research. If we said no, I highly doubt you would cease trying to get your hospital built.” Itachi paused as he and Izumi’s cousin came over to deliver the women’s orders. While they thanked their waitress and took their first bites of the sticky sweet snack, Itachi waited patiently; he knew the deliciousness of freshly prepared dango. He watched as his wife’s face brightened in joy and Sakura closed her eyes in pure delight of her umeboshi dango.

“Itachi,” Izumi spoke through her cheeks puffed like a chipmunk. “Put her out of her misery already!”

Itachi shook his head and smiled at her impatience, resisting the urge to poke her cheeks as he would have if they were alone. So much for enjoying their treats before they proceeded to business. Deciding to end the suspense at his wife’s behest, he looked to Sakura; she pushed aside her plate as a sign of concentration on the matter at hand. Her wide green eyes held her expressive worry at his next words and he thought of the oddity it was for her to be so easy to read. Shinobi were never so expressive, the Uchiha clan even less, and he was now so used to dealing with diplomats who held their true intentions hidden behind polite smiles and flowery words. Sakura did not seem to possess such a trait; she laid her cards on the table for all to see, evaluate, and judge. On the one hand, it was refreshing, amusing even, to know clearly where she stood and where one stood with her—on the other, a little concerning in its naïveté.

“The elders have decided to hear your plea,” Itachi raised his teacup to his lips to hide his smirk. Sakura’s face brightened like the sun, sparkling eyes and a wide pearly-toothed smile. Her shoulders dropped their tension in clear relief.

“You couldn’t have told her that in your message? Honestly, Itachi, you had her worried,” Izumi admonished him. She grasped Sakura’s hand briefly and gave her a congratulatory smile.

“I apologize.” He gave his wife a playfully apologetic look and set his cup down. He then turned to Sakura with a much more reserved expression. “That was not my intent, but if that rattled you, you will need to steel yourself, Sakura-san. The elders will not tolerate any perceived weakness, and while they will not seek to verbally demean you, they will also not hide their reservations or criticisms.”

“Get ready, Sakura. Trust me, they’ll certainly test limits; if they smell blood in the water, they won’t hesitate to exploit the weakness,” Izumi cautioned. She’d had plenty enough battles with the elders examining her like under a microscope; their words had so often pressed her like a stinging bruise that refused to heal, and they were her own family. She’d hate to think of how they might treat Sakura.

“I’ll be ready,” Sakura narrowed her eyes in determination. Inwardly, Itachi smiled at the fire lighting her eyes just as it had done when she’d first pitched her idea to them.

He outlined the proceedings for the meeting: “My family will escort you to the meeting room. There are some matters that will be inappropriate for you to listen to, so you will wait outside while we enter. Sasuke will come out to get you once we’ve conducted most of our clan business. Once you are done, the elders will tell you they need to think on your request, and Sasuke will escort you out of the meeting. You’ll be free to go. Like now, I will convey the elders’ decision to you once they have made it. Understand?”

“Yes. What time should I arrive at the compound?”

“17:45. The meeting will begin at 18:00 promptly; the elders do not like to be kept waiting, so please be on time.”

Sakura nodded, locking all of the details into her memory. “Don’t worry; I’m punctual.”

“Good. You will obviously want to make a good first impression.”

“Of course,” Sakura replied. If the elders were going to take her seriously, she’d need to make the best impression she could. Which left quite an important question unanswered.

“Are the Uchiha clan meetings more formal than Konoha council meetings? Should I wear anything in particular?”

“We’re more formal, but not so much so. Wearing what you’d usually wear to the hospital will be fine, minus the doctor’s coat. You won’t need to be that formal about your position,” Izumi informed her, then picked up a stick of dango and took a bite.

‘ _Thank goodness_ , _’_ Sakura thought. She would have hated to have to brandish a kimono or other formal wear for the occasion, and since she didn’t need to worry about her appearance beyond the usual acceptableness, she could spend more time going over her data and practicing her pitch. Two days. She’d be making perhaps the most important move of her career in just two days. Of course she’d be ready; she’d been practicing what she would say since Fugaku and Itachi had told her they would bring her request to the elders. But more importantly, she had to be ready; she may not get another shot.

With the main business concluded, the three shinobi focused on their dango and tea. Sakura was conscious to finish hers with more speed than she usually would to give Izumi and Itachi some time alone. They were probably eager to talk about Izumi’s appointment without her there. As she finished her food, a thought struck her.

“Itachi-san, Izumi… Tsunade-shishou was asking me for some hints on Sasuke’s probable fiancée … you do know that there is a betting pool…don’t you?”

Itachi nodded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the Hokage was asking for insider information; he was almost surprised she’d started with Sakura, if she hadn’t already asked Sasuke. Itachi had been spared a meeting for his opinion... which meant she would be summoning him soon. “My father is still at odds with my mother for forbidding her from placing a bet.”

Sakura couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of Uchiha Fugaku forbidding his wife from doing anything. “I heard from Tsunade-shishou that he placed one himself. I’m guessing Mikoto-san found out somehow, ne?”

“Hn,” Itachi sighed. “No one hides anything from my mother.”

“We did try to warn him,” Izumi shrugged innocently, resisting the urge to worry her lip; while she understood why the clan was so feverish about placing bets on Sasuke’s marriage, no matter how willing Sasuke was to go through with the arrangement, she would have been much happier if he didn’t have to trade his choice of a wife for duty to the clan. If only she hadn’t put off seeing Sakura for so long or thinking about another option for a child, Sasuke could have had time to fall in love.

Itachi caught the faint hitch in his wife’s voice, but made no reaction while Sakura was still with him, and he doubted Sakura had even caught the slight wavering. Having finished her reprieve, Sakura thanked him again for meeting with her, bowed to them, and walked out of the dango shop. Before he had time to turn his attention back to Izumi, she slid him a reminder card with his appointment day and time written neatly in blue ink. He looked up to her and took her hand.

“How was it?” He inquired softly.

“Everything was normal; that’s good,” Izumi responded and looked down to her and Sakura’s empty plates before them, nibbling her lip.

“That is good,” Itachi reassured her. The worst thing they could have heard was that she was ill. That she was alright was all he cared about.

Izumi looked up to him with a furrowed brow. “But if my body is normal, then why have we had so much trouble? It shouldn’t be this hard.”

“Perhaps my body is the cause, or something else entirely.” He stroked his thumb lovingly over the back of her hand, then gave her a small smile. “You are not the only factor here, wife,” he joked.

“Of course. How could I ever forget the great Uchiha Itachi?” She gave him a look of mock shame. Seeing her spirits raised, he released her hand and settled back into his seat.

“Sakura will have answers after my appointment with her; we just need to wait a little longer, Izumi.”

“You’re so sure,” Izumi smiled. Through all of this, Itachi had such incredible faith that everything would work out. It was inspiring, and she was sure she would have lost hope years ago if he hadn’t always been by her side.

“I am,” his baritone voice was strong with conviction; he spoke the two words as if it had always been a fact of the universe. “I have faith in my wife and in the best doctor in the world. And I assume my wife this same faith in me.” He passed her the last dango stick from his plate. She took it with a watery laugh and smile, nodding her head in agreement. He was so certain that he was even giving her his last stick of dango without their usual battle. Itachi leaned forward and brushed away the few tears that managed to escape her eyes, letting his thumb and the warmth of his hand linger gently against her skin. Her stomach flipped and warmth radiated throughout her body. There had never been any man who made her feel the way Itachi did. He loved her so much, so completely, so unconditionally. It would have taken her a star’s lifetime to list all the things she loved about him too.

“However this goes, I love you, Itachi.” Izumi squeezed his hand as firmly and took a bite from the dango stick. The future Patriarch and Matriarch of the Uchiha clan sat quietly together, enjoying each other’s presence in the secluded booth of their favorite shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.


	15. Chapter 15

“Maybe I should’ve asked Itachi to do this,” Sakura took deep breaths to slow her racing heart kicking like a rabbit’s foot in her chest. Her stomach felt like it was going to digest itself. Hearing her shaky whisper, Sasuke gently grabbed her elbow and pulled her back, letting his family keep walking in front of them. He completely ignored Shisui’s smug look and focused on Sakura who was panicking with anxiety.

He kept his hands firmly on her biceps, grounding her. Her brain felt like static and her muscles tensed from sensory overload. The pressure was just a bit too much and the scope of the night had hit her all at once. The closer she walked to the meeting room, the further the path in front of her seemed to stretch, until it felt like she was walking through a thick bog. Sakura counted to 10 and focused on her senses: what she could hear, see, taste, smell, touch. The crickets chirping in the grass, Sasuke’s immovable body in front of her and the flicker of lanterns behind him, the vague taste of her saliva in her mouth, the dewy wetness of the first snow coming on the air, the warmth of Sasuke’s hands against the chill of the night. She forced her mind to catalogue only the primal information her body gave her, nothing of her inner thoughts. She made her breathing audible, puffing the whisps into the air in rhythm with her slow counting. She catalogued that her shoulders lowered, her lungs expanded further; the static feeling began to recede. After a bit, her stomach settled to a tentative ease; she still felt as if she would throw up at any moment, but it didn’t feel so immediate as it had a few minutes before.

Once she was calm enough that his voice wouldn’t overstimulate her senses, Sasuke spoke. “Anyone can see that you’re passionate about this; Itachi wouldn’t have been able to portray that. That’s your strength, Sakura. Use it.”

She looked up at him, focusing on his midnight eyes shining against the night-blanketed sky. The glow of the stars and lanterns accentuated the blueish tint to his hair and the paleness of his unblemished skin. He made his breathing audible to match her own, to keep her in her found state of self-induced calm. She watched his chest rise and fall and each puff of air in the night, feeling it in time with her own.

Nodding, she gave him a small, grateful smile. “Right. I can do this. You know, you’re not so bad at pep talks.”

He gave her his typical monosyllabic reply and slipped one hand down to take hers. He turned and led her to the council room where his family waited for them at the stairs outside. Itachi gave her a knowing look as if to ask if she was ready; she nodded. She could do this. Sasuke released her hand and walked inside with his family, leaving her until she was called in by the elders.

* * *

“We hear you have a proposal for us, Sakura-san,” Agira took in the young woman before her. The pinkette knelt before the elders’ table, her shoulders steadily pulled back and her back ramrod straight. Her hands rested flat against her knees, not fidgeting or twitching at being the center of attention. Her eyes were alight and hard, not challenging or combative, but focused and determined.

‘ _She’s doing well_ ,’ Agira inwardly praised, though her face revealed nothing of her inner thoughts.

The Uchiha clan was not an easy clan to face, and Agira respected her her courage.

“Hai, Uchiha-san,” Sakura responded. She could hear the nervous waver in her voice but fought against the urge to gulp or clear her throat.

“Agira, please. We’ll certainly get confused if you refer to us all as Uchiha-san,” The elder gave a small upward turn of her lips. Quiet chuckles filled the room from the observers; Shisui’s voice floated clearest in her ear. Humor, she could work with that. Sakura felt a bit more at ease now that the ice had been broken; her breathing finally returning to the evenness that had escaped her when Sasuke had come out to tell her the elders were ready.

“Please, Sakura-san. Proceed with your proposal,” Teiga addressed the young woman, giving her command of the room.

Sakura began to outline her plan:

“Am I correct in assuming that Fugaku-san and Itachi-san informed you that, with the Hokage’s permission, I was allowed to look through Konoha’s negotiations with the clans?”

“Yes, though it was… unnerving to learn that you had such privilege without our knowledge until after the fact,” Kohaku narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing more when Agira raised her hand in front of him.

“What did you find there, Sakura-san?” Agira prompted her to continue.

“Konoha owes the Uchiha clan,” she spoke. None of the elders made a facial expression to imply that this was not common knowledge among the clan members in attendance, so she proceeded. “When the Nidaime commanded the relocation of the clan to this compound, for the purposes of forming the Konoha Police Force, he was not able to do so by an authoritarian decree. As part of the… _negotiation_ , the clan was to receive compensation for such a removal and was not to incur the cost of the construction of your new homes. According to Konoha’s own treasury records, those reparations have not been paid, or have not been requested.”

“You are correct; we have not touched it,” Teiga informed, more for her benefit than that of the nobles and main family who already knew such information.

Sakura nodded and continued on with the more likely of her estimates having been confirmed. “And as such, that money has compounded interest. But in addition to the financial brokerage of Konoha’s deal with the Uchiha clan, the clan negotiated for more land than was originally proposed to prevent the need for further relocation as your population grew. The Uchiha clan owns far more land than has been developed at its current state. My request to the Uchiha clan, to you, is that a part of the land and money be allocated for a children’s psychiatric hospital. If the Uchiha clan declares this as part of the reparations, Konoha’s council wouldn’t have a say in how the land and money was used; it would fall strictly under the discretion of the clan. Both Konoha’s negotiations regarding clan sovereignty during the Shodaime’s tenure and the Nidaime’s agreement with the Uchiha clan affirm this. If the Uchiha built their own hospital, it would be a clan venture, and they would have sole jurisdiction to invite others to use it. The hospital would be a resource to the clan but would also benefit shinobi and civilian children alike. Konoha’s council has placed many hurdles to obtaining funding and building approval; the Uchiha clan is the best solution I have for this clear need to protect the mental health of Konoha’s children. Please, I beg you to consider all I’ve said.” Sakura finished her explanation and performed a kowtow to the floor, placing her forehead on the tatami mats in humility before the elders.

The three elders looked from the rosette on the floor to each other, then to Fugaku and Itachi who nodded their heads discreetly. A bold strategy indeed. Even Kohaku could admit that he was impressed with the girl’s tenacity, or perhaps temerity was the better word for it. To have so thoroughly plotted out her strategy from 2 scrolls and to have the nerve to put such a request to the Uchiha, whether because she knew the Uchiha’s personal strife with the council or banked on the Uchiha clan being the largest, most powerful, and most noble—she certainly didn’t do anything in half measure.

“Please rise, Sakura-san. We have some questions about your proposal,” Agira instructed her. Sakura lifted back to her original position, ready for the scrutiny she’d been warned about.

“I would be happy to answer any questions, Agira-san.”

“First,” Agira began, “you stated that this was your _best_ option. What will you do if we say no?” The elder raised her eyebrow pointedly. Sakura tried not to show her utter shock, but she was sure it flashed across her face no matter how quickly she fixed it. She hadn’t expected that to be their first question at all!

“If this proposal doesn’t work,” she tried not to allow a waver of desperation in her voice. “I’ll be taking my research to Suna. I’ve worked with the Kazekage’s staff before, analyzing poisons and creating antidotes, and have consulted on his health as well as his family’s. He’s very interested in keeping Suna’s medical facilities at the cutting edge, and given his experiences as a child, he understands the importance of proper mental care. I don’t believe it would be too difficult to convince him to set up the hospital in Suna. Perhaps after some time, I would be able to then convince Konoha’s council with even more documentation of its need and success.”

The elders nodded at her, not giving away much in what the objective of the question had been.

“In your request, you suggest inviting other clans, shinobi, and civilians into the compound; does this not become Konoha’s problem built on the back of the Uchiha?” Teiga questioned with a rather stern voice. She’d admit that she had been lulled into a false sense of security, expecting the most resistance from Kohaku, who had been pressing her since she walked in, rather than the mild-mannered Teiga who’s demeanor was more like a kindly monk.

“I understand,” Sakura acknowledged the clear point he made. “If building the hospital inside of the compound poses reservations, it could be built outside of the walls but still on Uchiha land. As for Konoha’s problem, our children become our shinobi. They become our leaders and inherit our will. They eventually become parents themselves and pass on their knowledge to the next generation. Their mental health, _including_ learning to process enormous, difficult emotions, is all of our concern.” She sharpened her eyes. She could feel Sasuke’s unyielding gaze on her back. She’d born witness to those intense Uchiha emotions during the chūnin exams when he’d woken up to find her a mess while defending him and Naruto from the Sound shinobi. She’d experienced them again when he and Naruto had had their showdown on the hospital roof that only saw them alive because of Kakashi-sensei. Clearly understanding her implication, the three narrowed their eyes at her.

‘ _So, despite her demeanor and appearance, the young woman can sting as well_ ,’ Agira hid her interest in the woman’s claws behind a stone face.

“Beyond the emotional support of the hospital, it poses an opportunity to mend the relationship between the village and the clan,” Sakura continued on. As the Hokage’s apprentice and Sasuke and Naruto’s teammate, she was by no means oblivious to the undercurrent of lingering skepticism towards the Uchiha, and towards Sasuke being placed on the same team as the Kyuubi jinchūriki; no one had forgotten that the Kyuubi had attacked while under the Sharingan’s control. Building the hospital could be a part of dispelling some of the biases towards the clan. “Bringing people closer to the compound for such a selfless reason will help them associate the Uchiha with more than just the police force and being towards the outskirts. People will see that the clan is just like them, wanting what’s best for our children and village.”

“A trust building or public relations opportunity then?” Agira prodded. So she already knew of the prejudice against the Uchiha. Agira hadn’t expected the woman to be so well informed or conscious of the socio-political undertones of the village. She was 24 after all, and that was not very old when considered out of the context of war; she was still a young adult.

“Yes, and there is still another benefit specific to the Uchiha that the hospital could have.”

“Do tell,” Kohaku prompted, wondering where her argument would go next.

“The hospital could contract with Uchiha vendors as a source of revenue for the clan. People would be able to buy food, goods, and services during their visits and Uchiha merchants would have another customer base without having to allow outsiders in the compound.”

Kohaku nodded his head; that was an angle he hadn’t expected a doctor to go. “Seems like quite the business venture as well as public works. But you are not looking at the hospital as a way to make money, Sakura-san, are you.” His eyes narrowed. He didn’t actually ask her. It was clear that money and reputation weren’t what she was after, and she knew it wasn’t the first priority of the clan.

“Of course not,” Sakura replied. “But I recognize that may be another compelling angle in consideration for building the hospital.” _‘I can swallow my morality if it means the children of Konoha have the services they deserve.’_

The head family watched Sakura with pride. She was holding her own impressively well. Izumi glanced over to Sasuke and saw a faint smirk on his lips, but otherwise his face was expressionless. Shisui was practically beaming at the pink-haired doctor, and Mikoto held a small smile on her own lips at watching this woman she’d seen grow since she was a genin. Sakura’s confidence had blossomed even throughout the meeting from when she’d first been so nervous; her voice only grew stronger with her conviction. Good. Izumi would have hated to see her wilt under the pressure.

“You have explained yourself well enough,” Kohaku capitulated, “but have left out one crucial detail. How much will this hospital of yours cost?”

Inwardly, Sakura sighed; if she’d managed to garner any good will throughout the meeting, this could be the deal breaker. “An estimate of 5 million ryō. It’s steep I know, and it won’t cover everything, but it would cover the construction costs and medical equipment.”

“And you expect the Uchiha to cover the entire cost on our own?” Kohaku scoffed. Temerity was in fact the better word to use for the girl’s audaciousness. “You expect us to so diminish our coffers, reserved to protect our clan, for what is mostly for the benefit of the village?”

“Not at all,” Sakura chimed in before she could lose their attention. The clan members remained silent, but that was probably more out of reserve than support. She’d be absolutely crazy to expect that the clan contribute the land and that much money on their own. “With the support of the other clans, even just one of the noble clans, Konoha’s council will be cornered into funding the hospital or risk appearing as uncaring for the children of the village. The council may argue that it just benefits the clan children, but with how popular they are, other shinobi children will want to be like their peers. And as a civilian child, I was quite impressed with what shinobi could do and wanted to follow in their footsteps.”

Hearing Sakura’s explanation almost tempted Izumi to poke Itachi in the side and pinch Sasuke’s cheeks. Much to their shared embarrassment, they’d been the coolest kids in their academy classes: the heartthrobs who everyone had wanted to be like. Embarrassingly so, she’d been just as enamored with Itachi as everyone else. Sakura was not off at all in asserting that shinobi and civilian children would want to follow in the clan children’s footsteps. Positive peer pressure.

Agira, Teiga, and Kohaku took a moment to look at each other. Getting other clans involved could be possible, but _which_ clans would be crucial. Any minor clan would get no reaction from the council, and the other noble clans would not be so free with their wallets.

“Which other clans did you have in mind?” Teiga questioned.

“The Yamanaka clan has already provided me with plenty of research on how a shinobi’s mental health impacts their performance; this report was provided to Fugaku-san and Itachi-san during my meeting with them.”

The elders looked to the two clan heads, who both confirmed the statement.

“So the Yamanaka then?”

“Not just. The Nara clan has provided me with their medical archives to support the Yamanaka findings from a medicinal standpoint. Both clans have supported my proposals in the past and do so now. With the Nara and Yamanaka on board, the Akimichi will contribute to the cause in a show of support. Tsunade-shishou holds her supporting vote for the Senju, of course, and I am friends with the heir to the Aburame clan. Not only would that be three out of the 4 noble clans, if the Uchiha proposed the hospital, but it would also be supported by significant lesser clans—"

“Which still leaves the Hyūga.” Teiga brought up. “How do you intend to bring the Hyūga around? Will you use your connections with the eldest daughter and her fiancée, Naruto?”

Sakura smirked at the question; this was her personal favorite. “I could, but though Hinata is one of my greatest friends, she wouldn’t be the best way to appeal to the clan since she isn’t the heiress. A more effective argument is that the Hyūga wouldn’t want to be outdone by their cousin clan in protecting the village and caring about the next generations. If the Uchiha are offering their own land and funds, the Akimichi and Aburame their financial support, the last Senju princess contributing her family’s reserves, and the Yamanaka and Nara their financial support and medical/research expertise, surely the Hyūga can spare some of their own as well, to help Konoha’s children of course.” Sakura finished with a sly smile.

For the first time revealing emotion, Kohaku’s lips quirked. It was nowhere near a smirk or smile, but it was something. “You’re counting on their pride. They won’t want to seem like the only clan holding out.”

“Exactly,” Sakura’s smirk widened. The Hyūga’s sense of pride was a sure bet. Even if they didn’t actually believe in the cause, they wouldn’t want to lose face by being known as the only noble clan who didn’t support the hospital, especially when lesser clans did so. She didn’t _need_ them to fund the project for altruistic motives; she just wanted the hospital built. If the Hyūga’s pride was the way to get that done, then so be it.

“And of course, Konoha’s council would never have such a justification to go against both the Uchiha and the Hyūga,” Kohaku finished.

“Even if the council did find a way to go against the collective will, the Uchiha and Hyūga would remember such resistance in future situations where the village may need their support,” Sakura smiled devilishly.

Kohaku gave his elder mates a conspirator’s look. Against his prior judgement, this little slip of a girl had quite a backbone. She was clever and far more conniving than he would have given her credit for. At first glance, she seemed easy to intimidate and control, quite like prey. That she’d come up with such a plan and knew the emotional beats to manipulate even the clans to her will, well, it made some sense why Fugaku and Itachi had not spoken lightly of her. Teiga and Agira were equally as surprised. No doubt Sakura reminded them too of someone: of a woman with resilience far beyond what others could bear; his eyes slid to Izumi, shoulders back and head held proudly, just as a matriarch should sit.

Whether they chose to heed Sakura’s request or not, like the woman who sat just behind her, she had earned their respect, and that was not an easy thing to do. Of course, neither woman would ever know the elders’ full emotions. The elders were not in place to coddle anyone, but to do what was in the best interest of the clan.

The council sat quietly, thinking over all that Sakura had proposed. Her plan was audacious but well-thought out; she’d done her research. After a long enough pause, Agira spoke up.

“We will consider it, Sakura-san. While we can make no promises, know that you have piqued our interest. We will discuss it in detail.” Sakura sighed with some relief. They hadn’t said no.

“You understand that since you are not a part of the Uchiha clan, you cannot be here for our deliberation. When we have come to our decision, Itachi will communicate it to you as the official response of the Uchiha clan.” Teiga reminded her of what Itachi had already prepared her for.

“Of course.” Sakura rose from her seated position, happy to finally allow her legs to move. They would have fallen asleep had she knelt any longer, and that would have been quite an awkward way to leave. “Thank you for your time, Teiga-san, Agira-san, Kohaku-san. I eagerly await your response.” Sakura bowed and turned to leave.

“Sasuke will see you out,” Agira tilted her head to him. Sasuke nodded and stood from his place between Izumi and Shisui to walk beside Sakura out of the chamber. Once they reached outside, he closed the shoji doors behind them.

On the porch, Sakura let out the breath she’d been holding since what felt like the beginning of the meeting.

“That was intense! I thought my voice would crack in the beginning!” Her legs started to shake from the adrenaline rush going through her. Her mind had almost blanked out everything that happened while she was in the meeting.

“Hn. You did fine.” Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and smirked at her. She did beyond fine.

“Do you really think they’ll consider it? I know the price is high but—”

“They would have said no if they weren’t interested. The elders don’t mix words, and they won’t waste the clan’s time. They’ll think about how all of this will benefit us.” He reassured her. Sakura gave an unconvincing nod but looked away as she worried her lower lip.

“Sakura,” Sasuke spoke firmly but gently, grabbing her elbow softly to turn her to him. He brushed his thumb over the sensitive skin of the inner bend of her elbow, sending a shiver down her spine. She looked to him, still worrying her lip. “You’ve done what you can for now. Let my clan make their decision.”

Sakura took a deep breath and gave him a small smile. She was nervous still, but he was right: she’d done everything she could do. Now she had to be _patient_. They turned and began walking down the stairs, past the quieted stalls, and towards the great gate of the Uchiha compound. Sasuke stopped her under the gate with the uchiwa symbol hanging over them and conjured a shadow clone to walk her home. While he would have done so himself, he needed to return to the meeting chambers to finish the rest of the meeting. The elders hadn’t said anything about his marriage list before Sakura’s portion of the meeting, so they’d been saving it for the grand finale. As Sakura and his clone walked out of the compound, she halted, turning back to look at him.

“If the clan decides not to back the hospital,” Sakura hesitated then cleared her throat, allowing her voice to come out strong. “Will you still support me?”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as his clone rolled his own. “That’s a stupid question. Of course I will.”

“It’s not stupid; I was just making sure, Sasuke. You don’t have to be a jerk about it. It’s not like you’re known for defying the great will of the Uchiha!” Sakura huffed. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes so hard they would get stuck in the back of his head then “hn-ed”. His clone walked up to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Hn, annoying.” His clone smirked down at her.

“I will punch you out of existence,” Sakura threatened and shook off the clone’s hand. She marched out of the gate towards the path to her home. Sasuke shared a look with his clone before disappearing back to the meeting room for his turn to be interrogated. His clone shook his head and walked off after the fuming rosette.

* * *

“Now on to our last order of business pertaining to the clan heirs and line of succession. Shisui, have you begun your preparation?” Teiga addressed the older shinobi.

“I’ve got it covered, Ojii-san.” He already knew how he was going to ask Yukio…again…for the third time. He’d tried romantically and in the heat of the moment after coupling, and both times she’d rebuffed him saying that the secrecy was what worked for him. This third time would be simpler: without some grand gesture, he would explain how he wanted _her_ , not secrecy, not her name on his marriage list that would compel her to marry him, just her. He wanted this last proposal to show her just how much she meant to him, how serious he was about her.

“Very well; we’ll leave it to you,” Agira crossed that issue again off of her scroll, then turned her attention to Sasuke. “And Sasuke, how have you been progressing?”

“The civilian and I are no longer involved. I’ve told her of the existence of my list,” Sasuke replied to the redundant question; Ranma had told him that the clan already knew he’d ended things.

“And since we already know of your arrangement with Sakura and its condition, how have you been progressing on the selection process?” Kohaku questioned. Many of the attendants perked up, perhaps hoping to hear some important information that could give them an advantage in the betting pool.

“When the rest of this courting period is up, I’ll make my decision.” The air practically deflated out of the room, but no one showed their displeasure at not even hearing of a woman he wasn’t interested in.

“Waiting until the end then,” Kohaku pressed further, trying to get something out of him. Sasuke inwardly smirked, ready to drive the knife of dissatisfaction just a little deeper.

“At the moment, I am focused on learning my clan heir duties. In addition to the hours guarding the Hokage and training to keep my skills from deteriorating without missions, I’m evaluating the police academy candidates. I would argue that both duties are more pressing. I can’t afford to focus on courting and fail at either one,” he ended, just able to keep the smirk off his face at the vein throbbing above the elder’s temple.

“How noble of you,” Kohaku narrowed his eyes.

“Just make sure you have selected your fiancée when the time comes, Sasuke. The clan needs an heir, and though this marriage is arranged, we are not so heartless to force you to marry someone whose personality and habits do not sit well with your own. This is why we gave you such time before the official engagement period. Use it wisely.” Agira crossed off the final item on their agenda.

“That is our last order of business. Before the meeting is adjourned, are there any who would like to speak on Haruno Sakura’s proposal for the Heads and elders to consider before we come to a decision?” Agira addressed the crowd. One stood up, an older man who had once been a captain in the police force before his retiring.

“When we were removed here, we negotiated for the land and money to protect our clan from the Senju’s desires to see us eliminated, carried out through the Nidaime and his students. Now a student of that same line and will pleads for us to relinquish this. While I am not against the idea of a hospital to help children, why must it be done on the backs of the Uchiha?” The man finished his protest and waited for the elders to acknowledge him.

“You have been heard, Raiyuga.” Agira wrote down his position and nodded, signaling that the man could sit. Ranma and Reina looked to their father with some agreement, as many in the audience nodded; they had been thinking the same thing as Sakura laid out the finer costs of her request.

“She brought up us using the hospital to strengthen the Uchiha’s bond with the village. I hear your concerns, Raiyuga-san, but can this not be a way to bridge the younger generations? To stop our further isolation and seclusion from the village? Itachi-sama and Shisui-san risked much in negotiating a truce with the village those short years ago. Should we not look to continue their work?” Hanui looked to her uncle then to the elders. Sasuke shifted his eyes to see her, arms open at the gentle passion in her speech. Her face was hardened with determination, almost as if she had been giving the greater subject thought long before Sakura gave her proposal. The elders acknowledged her response and she sat down gracefully.

“My niece speaks of the actions of Itachi-sama and Shisui as if it erased much of the turmoil in the village. The villagers still look at us with reservation, and the whispers of the Sharingan’s use in the Kyuubi attack do not fade even with Naruto’s achievements. It would be better for us to keep the land and money as insurance, in case it may be needed in the future.” A middle-aged woman spoke. Sasuke recognized her as one of the sweets sellers he passed on his trips through the market. He couldn’t recall her name, but she had always been cordial in the Uchiha way.

“I agree with Kiriko,” a middle-aged man spoke next. “Our ancestors did not listen to Madara when he saw warning of the Senju’s consolidation of power. _That_ almost saw us exterminated. Should we ignore that warning again and expect it not to come to the same result?”

“Naruto grew up with Sasuke-kun,” an elder aunt spoke. Sasuke almost bristled at the childish honorific, but he kept his composure. “And Sakura grew up with him as well. With their positions poised to be the future leaders, they do not seem to harbor such a hatred for the Uchiha as the elder generation. They were even taught by Kakashi, who became a great friend of Obito…”

_‘And served as my ANBU-taichou,_ ’ Itachi thought, but obviously could not reveal.

“This blending should mean that they are not so bound to the prejudice and distrust as previous generations were. If we build the hospital and use it to bolster our reputation, as the girl suggested, the older opinions could fade from an eruption lurking beneath the surface to dwindling embers almost extinguished,” The aunt finished.

“And yet still that is power consolidated towards the Senju. Naruto’s mother was an Uzumaki and had a close relationship to Uzumaki Mito as her jinchūriki successor. His special sensei was Jiraiya-sama, who was trained under the 3rd Hokage and was Naruto’s father’s sensei, the Yondaime. Naruto’s likely selection as the Rokudaime is again an example of the Uchiha being limited from power while those who were taught by the Senju or their successors gain it. Elders,” the man glanced to the council, “this cannot be ignored.”

Agira nodded to the man and double checked that all who had spoken’s thoughts were recorded on her scroll for consideration. She looked out among the crowd, waiting for any other who would speak up for or against the proposition. Seeing none rising, she moved to roll the scroll.

Having heard enough, Sasuke stood and addressed the elders. “Elders. You asked what Sakura would do if she did not receive our support.”

The elders nodded, though knowing that he needed no prompting.

“She’s made it clear that she will see this hospital built and is willing to leave her home to see it done. Whether the hospital is built on Konoha’s soil or not seems to be our decision now. Regardless of how the elders and Head of the Clan choose to respond as the official position of the Uchiha, Sakura has my support. A sizeable part of my inheritance and mission earnings will be used as a donation from the Uchiha clan for the building of Konoha Children’s Psychiatric Hospital or for the building of Suna’s.” Sasuke sat, not waiting for the elders to acknowledge his statement. The air in the room seemed stagnant, as if no one was quite sure what to do.

Izumi felt a warm pride bubbling in her chest as she looked at Sasuke, and she knew that Itachi and Shisui had to have felt the same. She glanced into the audience to see as varying of expressions as their family revealed: reservation, happiness, distrust, confusion, agreement. The brown-haired girl who had spoken up before looked at Sasuke with a kind smile. Everyone who wanted to had spoken their piece; now, the elders and Fugaku-san and Itachi would have the final say.

With no others rising after Sasuke’s declaration, Agira adjourned the meeting.

“Fugaku, Itachi, we have much to discuss,” Teiga nodded to the clan heads. “Mikoto, we would like you to stay as well, Matriarch. Much of the domestic concerns will fall under your domain.”

“Of course. I’d be happy to,” Mikoto walked closer to the elders, joining her husband and eldest son for the deliberation.

Sasuke bid ‘goodnight’ to his father, mother, and brother, and walked out of the room with Izumi and Shisui. The elders wouldn’t call a clan meeting solely to reveal their decision, so it was likely that everyone would know of their response to Sakura's proposal by then. At that next meeting, Sasuke would have his fiancée to keep Izumi and Itachi in the clan. Hopefully, that would satisfy the elders enough to avoid bringing up the topic of annulment all together, but he knew that was wishful thinking. The elders had been as patient as they were going to be and wouldn’t erase the exhaustive pregnancy schedule Sasuke’s own wife would be under if Izumi wasn’t pregnant by that meeting.

* * *

“You heard Sakura’s proposal and the members’ response… particularly the clan heir’s” Kohaku began once the meeting room had cleared of everyone except the elders, the Patriarch and Matriarch of the Uchiha clan, and the future patriarch.

“We have,” Fugaku nodded, “and neither action nor side comes without its own disadvantages.”

“The land and 5 million ryō. That is a steep contribution, Fugaku. Perhaps if we were contributing just one, it would not be such an egregious ask.” As had been expressed by Raiyuga earlier, Teiga wasn’t against the hospital outright, but this plan placed much on the shoulders of the Uchiha if the other clans did not contribute, and though Sakura was confident that the other clans would, and even had some solid forms of commitment, they had to make the decision based on the worst-case scenario: the Uchiha alone. Perhaps it would have been nice to so trust the other clans, but their clan hadn’t survived for so long on trusting others.

“It is a lot to ask. But I think we are underestimating the other clans, and Sakura’s connection to them,” Itachi reasoned. “Perhaps it was not luck that saw Sakura in the same Academy class as the heir to the Nara, Yamanaka, Aburame, Akimichi, the 2nd heir to the Inuzuka, and the unclear heir or 2nd heir to the Hyūga. To add to that, the favored candidate for the Rokudaime was in that class after failing the graduation exam so many times. With the position she’s likely to hold if all goes as expected, perhaps it was not luck that saw Sasuke placed in that very same class as well. While immediately it may seem that this decision benefits Sakura and Konoha more, this could be a way for the Uchiha to build lasting peace and connections in the village through Sasuke.”

“You aren’t one to believe in luck, Itachi,” Agira addressed the heir. She had never seen him concern himself with stars or temples or the gods. While she had never heard him denounce such things, he was always practical and logical in his problem solving. To hear him say there may be some sort of fate working at play was new.

“I do not believe it was luck. I believe it was intention.”

Agira and Teiga nodded, and Kohaku couldn’t necessarily find fault with Itachi’s reasoning. Such circumstances were so rare that believing it anything other seemed like the more absurd odds.

“You would suggest we build the hospital and have Sasuke involved somehow?” Mikoto asked but was more thinking aloud than requesting an actual answer. As her son had put it, Sasuke’s class was full of the future leaders of Konoha; they might not get another chance to secure lasting peace for the future of the Uchiha clan if they didn’t act on this connection now. Itachi nodded to his mother; he couldn’t foresee a better opportunity…especially if he and Izumi never had children.

“And you, Fugaku?” Kohaku questioned.

“Even as a child, Itachi was very rarely wrong. As I’m sure is the case with you, I can’t find fault in using this opportunity to build our connection with the other clans with Sasuke and Sakura’s connection to Naruto and the others in their genin class. Against the odds, they have all stayed together in their progression through the shinobi ranks, and they are close even after many of them have chosen to specialize into different fields. We may not receive another opportunity so easily laid out. However, my family and I are well aware that to agree with Sakura’s request would also expose us and Sakura to the ire of Konoha’s council. We are used to such underhanded maneuvering; for all of her confidence, Sakura has no clue what they are truly capable of. If we agree, she will need our protection. And we must assume that the council will be eager to pick up where they left off at Danzo’s insistence.”

  
Agira resisted the urge to worry her lip. Would the threat of elimination always hang over their heads? Must they always be vigilant to avoid whatever excuse the council would seek to have them eradicated like some pest or illness? If this new generation was as close as Itachi said, she couldn’t wait for them to take control; if only to alleviate the burden of having to think of counters to every trap Konoha’s current council would lie. Noting the late night, Agira broke off the conversation to resume the next day.

“We will all take the night to think on it and continue our discussion in the morning. It is never wise to make a decision with weary eyes and sleep-deprived brains.” Everyone nodded and rose to go to their respective homes. In the morning, they would further discuss the arguments presented for each course of action, then make the decision that would be best for the Uchiha clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I’m glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.


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